Los Angles May See 9 Million TEU for 2018

By Karen Robes Meeks

For the fifth straight month, the Port of Los Angeles handled more than 800,000 TEUs, keeping the nation’s largest seaport on pace to reach 9 million for the year.

The port moved 832,331 TEUs in November, making it the port’s sixth busiest month ever. This despite last month’s numbers reflecting a 9.9 percent decrease from the same period last year when the port moved 924,256 TEUs.

Los Angeles also saw an 8.8 percent decrease in imports down to 422,793 TEUs and a 14.3 percent slowdown in exports to 152,527 TEUs compared to the November 2017 figures.

So far this year, the port has moved 8,555,490 TEUs. The Eleonora Maersk visit to the port’s APM Terminals moving 27,846 TEUs helped reach those numbers while also establishing a North American record for a single cargo vessel, according to the port.

“In November, we processed a number of high-volume vessels brought into service to facilitate the holiday season cargo surge and accommodate the push to import cargo before tariffs that were previously scheduled to increase on Jan. 1,” said Port Executive Director Gene Seroka. “As we enjoy the holiday season, I’m grateful to all of our labor workforce, customers and stakeholders for the role they play in moving such a high volume of trade. As 2019 approaches, we are committed to tackling the challenges and seizing the opportunities that await.”

By Sarah Spangler