Port of Los Angeles box volumes have dropped by more than a fifth as the US West Coast ports continue to see plummeting container numbers.
The port handled 709,873 TEU in September 2022, a 21.5 per cent decrease from September 2021, which was the port’s busiest September on record.
September 2022 loaded imports reached 343,462 TEU, down 27 per cent compared to the previous year. Loaded exports came in at 77,680 TEU, up 3 per cent compared to last September.
Empty containers landed at 288,731 TEU, a 20 per cent decline compared to last year.
Los Angeles’ news follows yesterday’s figures from the Port of Long Beach. Though not as severe a drop, the port moved 741,823 TEU of cargo containers in September, down 0.9 per cent from the same period in 2021.
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The month of September is in the thick of holiday buying season for importers. In spite of the disappointing figures, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka is buoyant on yearly figures.
“Despite what will likely be a soft ending to 2022, we are on track to have the second-best year in our history,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said at a media briefing. “More importantly, the cargo backlog that began last year has been nearly eliminated due to the diligent, combined efforts of our supply chain partners.”
Closing out the third quarter, the Port of Los Angeles has processed 7,864,514 TEU during the first nine months of 2022, about 4 per cent down from last year’s record pace.
