Despite moving a record volume for the month of February, exports from the Port of Los Angeles remain sluggish.
The US trade hub processed 799,315 TEUs in February (2021), a 47 per cent increase on February 2020.
It was the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year increases at the port, and the strongest February in its 114-year history.
Loaded exports came in at 101,208 TEUs, down 24.7 per cent on February 2020. Loaded imports reached 412,884 TEUs, up 52.9 per cent year-on-year. Empty containers, heavily in demand in Asia, surged to 285,223 TEUs, up 104 per cent on February 2020.
“One year ago global trade slowed to a crawl as the Covid-19 pandemic first hit China and then spread worldwide,” said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka. “Today, we are in the seventh month of an unparalleled import surge, driven by unprecedented demands by American consumers.
“Our challenges now are focused on getting port workers vaccinated and assisting stakeholders in managing this heavy flow of cargo. We will do everything we can to help get shipping lines back on schedule. It’s critical that we clear the backlog of cargo and return more certainty to the Pacific trade.”
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