The Port of Long Beach has set a new record for the most containers moved over the month of September.
The 701,619 TEUs processed by the Californian port last month also resulted in the port’s best quarter ever. In the third quarter of this year (July, August and September), the Port of Long Beach handled 2,114,306 TEUs, as volumes rose 15.9 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“Simply put, we are having the best trade months in Port history,” said Harbor Commission president Lou Anne Bynum. “Back-to-school merchandise was strong for us, and it looks like retailers are optimistic about the holiday season.”
The September figure bettered last year’s performance by 28.3per cent. Port of Long Beach executive director Mario Cordero said the huge jump in cargo volumes was only partly due to the Hanjin bankruptcy that hit West Coast ports in September 2016.
“Our continuing recovery is due to our best-in-the-industry customer service, and the best terminals and infrastructure in the nation for shippers who need to rapidly transport cargo,” explained Cordero. “We’re expecting to have great numbers right through the end of the year and challenge 2007 for our highest annual container volume in history.”
