February Cargo Volumes Drop at LA, Long Beach Ports

February Cargo Volumes Drop at LA, Long Beach Ports

The Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports saw cargo volumes for February drop year over year, according to newly released data by the two seaports. Last month, the Port of LA moved 487,846 TEUs, a 43% drop from February 2022, an all-time record, the port said March 17. Loaded imports during the month fell 41% to 249,407 TEUs, while loaded exports dipped 14% to 82,404 TEUs year over year. Empty containers also dropped 54% to 156,035 TEUs, POLA data show. So far in 2023, Los Angeles said it has handled 1,213,860 TEUs, a 30% drop when compared to the same…
Read More
Container Dwell Time Continues to Drop at LA, Long Beach Ports, PMSA Says

Container Dwell Time Continues to Drop at LA, Long Beach Ports, PMSA Says

The amount of time that cargo lingering at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports continued to fall in January, according to new data released by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association on Feb. 21. The average dwell time in January was 3.2 days for cargo departing by truck, a drop from the average peak time of 8.4 days in November 2021. Meanwhile, the average dwell time in January for rail-bound cargo was 4.3 days, a decrease from a peak of 16.5 days in August 2022. The new average times are now closer to pre-pandemic average times, PMSA said. During the…
Read More
Record Animal Product Contraband Seized at LA/LB Ports for 3rd Straight Year

Record Animal Product Contraband Seized at LA/LB Ports for 3rd Straight Year

For the third straight year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists reported record levels of illegal animal products coming through the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports, the agency said Feb. 15. During fiscal year 2022, which spanned from Oct. 1, 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022, CBP agriculture specialists seized more than 1.2 million pounds of illegal pork, chicken, beef, and duck products coming from China, a 7% jump (more than 1.1 million pounds) from the previous fiscal year and a 162% spike from Fiscal Year 2020, which saw 463,279 pounds seized. “These animal products are not approved for…
Read More
January Cargo Volumes Down at LA, Long Beach Ports

January Cargo Volumes Down at LA, Long Beach Ports

Cargo volumes in January dropped by double digits year over year at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports as consumer spending softens and more of the cargo share heads to the East and Gulf Coasts. The Port of Los Angeles saw a 16% drop from January 2022, a record month for the port, moving 726,014 TEUs last month, the port announced Feb. 16. January imports were down 13% with 372,040 TEUs from the same time a year ago according to port data, while loaded exports were up 2.5% with 102,723 TEUs. “We expect softer global trade throughout the first…
Read More
Long Beach Port Seeks Input on Proposed World Oil Terminals Project

Long Beach Port Seeks Input on Proposed World Oil Terminals Project

The Port of Long Beach is asking the public to weigh in on a World Oil Terminals project to put in two more oil storage tanks at its Pier C facility, the port announced Feb. 1.  That input is expected to be included in an environmental impact report for the project, which calls for the company to build and run two new 25,000-barrel petroleum storage tanks for crude oil, “with internal floating roofs with new tank foundations and piping connections to existing facility infrastructure, including the truck loading racks,” according to the port.  Third-party customers would be able to lease…
Read More
POLB ‘State of the Port’ Highlights Zero Emissions, Renewable Energy Projects

POLB ‘State of the Port’ Highlights Zero Emissions, Renewable Energy Projects

At the Port of Long Beach’s ‘State of the Port’ address, held Jan. 26 at the Long Beach Convention Center, port Executive Director Mario Cordero said that Long Beach is working to become the world’s first zero-emissions seaport. The event, which was the first in-person State of the Port address since 2020, following two years of virtual events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, attracted more than 700 attendees, port officials told Pacific Maritime. During his 50-minute speech and video presentation, Cordero committed to supporting state and federal efforts to increase renewable energy sources, and called 2023 the “Year of Imagination.”…
Read More
Port of Long Beach Ends 2022 with 2nd-Busiest Year for Cargo Volumes

Port of Long Beach Ends 2022 with 2nd-Busiest Year for Cargo Volumes

The Port of Long Beach handled more than 9.13 million TEUs in 2022, the second-busiest year in its history, according to data released Jan. 19. That’s about 2.7% less cargo than 2021, the POLB’s busiest year on record.  While imports dropped 4.9% to 4,358,789 TEUs and exports dipped 1.6% to 1,414,882 TEUs, the port continues to be the busiest seaport in the U.S. for loaded exports for the second straight year. Meanwhile, the port moved 3,359,986 TEUs in empty containers in 2022, about 0.14% less from 2021. The port saw record cargo numbers in much of the first half of…
Read More
Port of Long Beach Provides Nearly 12,000 COVID Shots to Mariners

Port of Long Beach Provides Nearly 12,000 COVID Shots to Mariners

After an 18-month effort, the Port of Long Beach on Dec. 31 wrapped up its COVID-19 vaccination program, which saw close to 12,000 shots given to mariners serving on cargo ships visiting the San Pedro Bay. “We are proud to have sponsored free vaccines for sailors visiting the port,” Port of Executive Director Mario Cordero said. “The port is about more than just moving cargo, it’s about the people who move the cargo and keeping them healthy and safe.” The program – run jointly by the port, the National Guard and the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services…
Read More
POLB Channel Deepening Project Receives Federal Authorization

POLB Channel Deepening Project Receives Federal Authorization

The Port of Long Beach’s Channel Deepening Project is one of the U.S. projects included in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022, the newly signed law by President Joe Biden that allows funding for flood control, navigation and ecosystem-related projects, it was announced Dec. 28. Long Beach’s channel deepening effort is among five navigation projects in the country that passed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ “rigorous planning process to make the cut for construction authorization under the new water resources law,” the port said in a statement. Long Beach and the Army Corps are jointly funding the…
Read More
Cargo Dwell Times Down at LA, Long Beach Ports: PMSA

Cargo Dwell Times Down at LA, Long Beach Ports: PMSA

The length of time that cargo containers were dwelling at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports in November declined month-over-month, according to data released Dec. 19 by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association. The average time containers lingered on marine terminals at both ports was 2.8 days, a drop from 3.5 days the previous month. The numbers reflect pre-pandemic levels for local cargo. “The last time local container dwell time averaged 2.8 days was in July 2020,” according to PMSA, adding that just 7.2% of containers stayed longer than five days at terminals, down from 10.9% in October. For rail-bound…
Read More