Cargo volumes in June were down from the previous year of record cargo movement at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports, according to new data released by the ports on July 12 and July 13.
Los Angeles moved 833,035 TEUs, a 5% drop from June 2022, last year’s record. Loaded imports last month dipped 2% to 435,307 TEUs and empty containers fell 14% to 289,679 TEUs when compared to June 2022. Meanwhile, the port saw its June loaded exports rise 15% to 108,050 TEUs compared to the same time last year.
The port moved more than 4.13 million TEUs in the first half of 2023, a 24% drop from the first half of 2022.
At a July 12 media briefing, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka focused on the four straight months of cargo gains, which rose 70% since February.
“Although we will likely see cargo ease in July, I’m optimistic that the second half of 2023 will show improved performance compared to the first six months,” he said.
Meanwhile, Long Beach saw a 28.5% decline from June 2022 — a record month — in cargo volumes, moving 597,076 TEUs.
Year over year, June imports fell 34% to 274,325 TEUs, while exports dropped 18% to 94,508 TEUs. Empty containers also dove 25% to 228,243 TEUs. In the first six months of this year, Long Beach processed more than 3.73 million TEUs, a 25.5% decrease from the same period in 2022.
“We are hopeful to obtain a greater percentile of market share,” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said. “We remain confident that our reliability, efficiency and unparalleled service will attract additional trade and economic activity to our port.”
