February volume eases at Port of LA

The Port of Los Angeles processed more than 705,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in February, port officials said this week.

Although it was the third-busiest Februrary at the Port, officials said volume was down 2.7 percent compared with February 2017. They cited the timing of the Lunar New Year—February 5—as one reason for the decrease, noting that production in some Asian countries slowed, resulting in some cargo being shipped in January instead of February.

"After the busiest seven months in the history of our port, the anticipated ease in cargo volume provides an opportunity for us to regroup with our stakeholders," Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a statement announcing the results. "With an uneven trade flow, we will be closely evaluating next steps for enhancing supply chain efficiencies."

Port volumes increased 1.6 percent for the first two months of 2019, compared to the same period last year. February 2019 imports dropped 9.1 percent to 348,316 TEUs compared to the previous year. Exports decreased 9.5 percent to 142,554 TEUs. Empty containers increased 16.3 percent to 214,436 TEUs, officials said.