The Port of Long Beach has pointed to the economic impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic when reporting a downturn in cargo volumes over the month of April (2020).
Dockworkers and terminal operators at the US trade hub moved 519,730 TEUs last month, down 17.3 per cent from April 2019, which was the port’s busiest April on record. Imports slid 20.2 per cent to 253,540 TEUs, while exports declined 17.2 per cent to 102,502 TEUs. Empty containers headed overseas decreased 12.2 per cent to 163,688 TEUs.
Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach, said decreased consumer demand during stay-at-home health orders, prompted by Covid-19, drove down imports over April. Exports were hampered by a shift of carrier services.
“We look forward to a recovery stage and rebounding cargo shipments as the nation contemplates relaxing shelter-in-place orders, people return to work and consumer demand rises – however it will not be in the short term,” said Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach.
“In the meantime, we continue to collaborate with importers, exporters, terminal operators and labour to develop a recovery plan while ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of goods moving through the Port of Long Beach.”
The Port of Long Beach moved 2.2m TEUs during the first four months of 2020, 9.5 per cent down from the same period in 2019.
