Port of LA reports strong first quarter

The Port of Los Angeles saw strong growth in cargo volume during the first quarter, port officials said this week.

The port handled 650,977 twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in March, up 12.7 percent compared to the year-ago period. Container volumes grew 4.6 percent for the first three months of the year, port officials said.

March imports rose 12.4 percent to 297,187 TEUs compared to the previous year. Exports decreased 2.9 percent to 158,924 TEUs; empty containers increased 30.2 percent to 194,866 TEUs.

Port officials said they expect the growth to continue, citing anticipated growth in consumer demand this summer. Earlier this month, the National Retail Federation reported a strong long-term outlook for retail sales, driven by job and wage growth.