The Port of Long Beach has witnessed its busiest July on record despite curbed consumer spending.
Container throughput reached 785,843 TEU in July, a slim 0.13 per cent increase from the previous record in the same period a year ago.
Imports declined 1.8 per cent to 376,175 TEU, while exports were down 0.5 per cent to 109,411 TEU.
Empty containers moved through the port were up 2.8 per cent to 300,257 TEU.
READ: Empty container congestion creates ‘double whammy’
“We are continuing to seek solutions to improve efficiency as a record-breaking number of containers move through the Port,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director, Mario Cordero.
“We hope to relieve some of the stress points by continuing to support a transition of the entire supply chain to 24/7 operations and ensuring our industry partners can track containers with our new Supply Chain Information Highway data solution.”
The authority reported a weaker domestic demand amid high inflation and aggressive tightening by the Federal Reserve, as consumer spending rose by only 1 per cent nationally.
READ: Global trade soars hitting record $7.7 trillion in 2022 first quarter
“Our waterfront workforce continues to ensure trade moves through the Port at a record-setting pace,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President, Sharon L. Weissman.
“We continue to strengthen our partnerships with labour and industry to ensure our spot as a leader in trans-Pacific trade.”
The Port of Long Beach has broken monthly records in six out of the last seven months. The port has moved a total of 5,793,621 TEU during the first seven months of 2022, up 4.6 per cent from the same period last year.
Full demolition is expected to be concluded by the end of 2023.
