South California’s Port of Long Beach (POLB) recorded a 5.1 percent container volume increase in the first half of this year, compared to the same period of 2016.
The port handled 3.5 million TEU during the six-month period. Of those, 1.8 million were inbound containers, a gain of 5.1 percent year-over-year. However, exports declined by 3.3 percent and stood at 711,828.
Last month was the second-best June ever for POLB as cargo climbed 9.2 percent compared to the same month last year, to 658,727 TEUs.
For June, imports grew 7 percent to 335,328 TEUs while exports declined 7.7 percent, to 118,304 containers.
During the year’s second quarter — April through June — volumes increased 8.3 percent, to almost 1.9 million TEUs.
“These are good results as we move into the busiest trade months of the year. The U.S. dollar remains strong and retailers are stocking back-to-school merchandise and other goods American consumers are purchasing,” Lori Ann Guzmán, Harbor Commission President, commented.