The Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports saw their overall cargo numbers rise in November compared with the same month a year ago, according to data released by the ports Dec. 13. The increase reflects strong holiday sales, the ports said.
The Port of LA moved 763,262 TEUs in November, 19% more cargo than November 2022. It was the fourth straight month of year-over-year increases for the port, data show.
Los Angeles said it handled 384,619 TEUs in loaded imports last month, a 25% jump year over year, and processed 111,755 TEUs in loaded exports, a 24% spike compared to November 2022. Empties rose 10% year over year to 266,888 TEUs.
Year to date, the POLA has moved 14% fewer containers than it did in its record year of 2022, seeing more than 7.8 million TEUs in the first 11 months of 2023.
“Our year-end growth reflects the strength of the U.S. economy powered by the American consumer,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said. “Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales were strong, and the forecast for overall holiday sales is 3-4% above last year, another high mark.”
At Long Beach, about 31,033 TEUs in overall cargo were moved last month, a 24.2% jump from the same time last year. Imports soared 37% to 355,339 TEUs, while exports fell 13% to 108,798 TEUs, according to the data. Empties spiked 30.6% to 266,896 TEUs year over year.
“We are recapturing market share, online shopping is on the rise and retailers are keeping the shelves stocked to meet rising consumer demand for the holidays,” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said. “We remain optimistic as cargo returns to this critical gateway for trans-Pacific trade.”
So far in 2023, Long Beach has processed more than 7.3 million TEUs, a 14.9% drop from the first 11 months of 2022. The port added that the year-to-date number reflects the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, when Long Beach handled more than 6.96 million TEUs in the same 11-month period.
