Cargo volume through the Port of Long Beach increased in January compared to a year ago as retailers stocked up ahead of the Lunar New Year, port officials said Wednesday.
Dock workers and terminal operators moved 674,015 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, up 17.5% compared to January 2023, according to data released Wednesday.
In addition, the data show, imports increased 23.5% to 325,399 TEUs, while exports were down 18.1% to 86,525 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the port increased 28% to 262,151 TEUs.
“Retailers stocked their warehouses in January ahead of the slower import activity we typically see during Lunar New Year celebrations,” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said in a statement. “We are ready to grow our volumes and hope to see continued growth through 2024 as we gradually recapture market share.”
The 2024 start marked the fifth straight monthly year-over-year increase following 13 months of declines in cargo movement at the port, officials said.
“The waterfront workforce and terminal operators are energizing the economy by keeping the goods moving at the Port of Long Beach,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr. said in a statement. “We’re staying the course by attracting business, operating sustainably and developing projects that will ensure our long-term growth.”
