October container volumes were down 6.2% at the Port of Long Beach compared with the same month last year, as the fallout from the Hanjin bankruptcy continues to settle.
A total of 581,808 TEUs moved through docks in October, 2016. Export TEUs were 1.2% down, relatively flat compared to last October, to 126,770 TEUs. Total imports were 296,711 TEUs, 3.7% off. Empty containers experienced the largest drop of 13.8% to 158,327 boxes.
Port officials have stated that October, 2015 was the best in the previous eight years, and was in the midst of a long period of cargo growth, which lasted six months; for the calendar year through October, Port TEUs trail the 2015 total by 4.8 percent.
Technical Paper: Entering the Maritime Sector: Logistics 4.0
The collapse of Hanjin Shipping has had a major effect on the Port of Long Beach in particular, as during this period of growth in 2015, Hanjin Shipping containers accounted for approximately 12.3% of the Port’s total container volume.
Port leaders recently acted to clear a backlog of empty containers related to the Hanjin bankruptcy, freeing a significant number of chassis to speed the efficient flow of cargo through the Southern California supply chain.
This news follows the announcement that the Port of Long Beach was involved in a partnership with Maersk Line, alongside its sister port Los Angeles, to measure the environmental benefits of upgrading 12 Maersk ships to decrease their environmental impact.
This will involve the installation of high-tech equipment to track vessel emissions and energy efficiency over the next three years, enabling more transparency and ultimately reducing the environmental impact of vessels calling at the San Pedro Bay port complex.
