Container cargo flow through Southern California’s Port of Long Beach increased 7.9 percent in April compared to the same month last year, leading to the busiest April for the port in nine years.
A total of 614,860 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of containerized cargo were moved through the Port in April.
Imports reached 317,376 TEUs, a 7.3 percent increase from last year; however, exports fell 6.1 percent to 137,546 TEUs.
Empty containers surged 25.3 percent to 159,938 TEUs. With imports exceeding exports, empty containers are sent overseas to be refilled with goods.
In April, the terminals were also working through the backlog left over from the winter’s congestion in San Pedro Bay. By the end of the month, no more container ships were waiting at anchor to come into the Port of Long Beach.
Through the first four months of 2015, Long Beach cargo numbers are essentially flat compared to the same period last year, down 0.3 percent overall.