It’s also the first time the port ever exceeded 700,000 TEUs in the month of April.
The rise of online purchasing has contributed to “an ongoing cargo boom” at the port and its busiest ever April.
“International trade will help jumpstart the economy, and the Port of Long Beach will lead the way by protecting the health of our dockworkers and providing top-notch customer service to keep cargo moving,” said port Executive Director Mario Cordero. “We remain optimistic as online spending continues to soar, retailers prepare for a busy summer season and businesses continue to reopen following months of closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The port moved 367,151 TEUs in imports, 44.8% jump from the same time a year ago, and handled 124,069 TEUs in exports, a 21% year-over-year increase.
Demand for empty containers continues to trend upward as the port moved 55.8% more empties last month with 254,970 TEUs.
So far, the port has handled more than 3.1 million TEUs in 2021, a 41.8% spike from the same time last year.
“We are in the midst of our best trade periods in port history, but we cannot forget that the national economy remains in recovery mode,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “We are closely collaborating with our industry stakeholders to handle the resurgence of cargo we’re experiencing after the dramatic declines we saw last year due to COVID-19.”
