Port of Los Angeles

Container cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles for the month of July have decreased 2.5 per cent in 2015 compared with the corresponding period of last year. The port handled a total of 699,127 TEUs in July 2015, down on the 717,407 it recorded over July 2014.

Imports decreased 3.5 per cent, from 363,393 TEUs in July 2014 to 350,627 TEUs in 2015. Exports declined16.4 per cent, from 163,294 TEUs in 2014 to 136,402 TEUs in 2015.

The July results follow a year-long trend for the container port, with overall volumes falling 3.5 per cent to 4,602,648 TEUs over the first seven months of 2015 compared with the same period in 2014. Sustained labour strikes over the first half of the year have been pinpointed as the major driver behind the downturn.

The industrial action has had a profound impact on US fresh produce exports, with the Washington Apple Commission estimating around US$100m-worth of apples had to be destroyed this season due to the inability to export.