MARCH CARGO VOLUMES DIP AT PORT OF LOS ANGELES

1st Quarter Figures Drop 5.7 Percent Compared to Record-Setting 2017

SAN PEDRO, Calif. - April 13, 2018 - The Port of Los Angeles processed 577,865 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in March, a decrease of 27 percent compared to last March. The expected decline came after a record February when shippers moved cargo ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday celebrated in Asia.

“We’re comparing our numbers to an extraordinary 29-percent volume gain last March so a decline is not unexpected,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Lunar New Year timing and subsequent canceled or reduced sailings played a factor. We continue to focus on our efforts to make facility and technology enhancements that position us for long-term efficiency and productivity gains.”
 
March 2018 imports dropped 29.2 percent to 264,460 TEUs compared to the previous year. Exports fell 14.6 percent to 163,706 TEUs while empty containers dropped 33 percent to 149,699 TEUs. Combined, March overall volumes were 577,865, a 27 percent decline compared to 2017.
 
Three months into 2018, overall volumes have decreased 5.7 percent compared to 2017.

The Port of Los Angeles is America’s premier port and has a strong commitment to developing innovatively strategic and sustainable operations that benefit Southern California’s economy and quality of life. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $284 billion in trade during 2017. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs in the five-county Southern California region.