Rebound in Exports Spurs Container Cargo Growth in Long Beach

With exports bouncing back and moderate import gains, container cargo
volume at the Port of Long Beach climbed 3.5 percent in the first six
months of the year.
"Our loaded containers, exports and imports combined, increased by 6.
5 percent, which is fairly strong growth," said Don Wylie, the port's
managing director of maritime services. "Overall, our total isn't as s
trong because we aren't seeing as many empty containers being shipped
back to Asia as more and more loaded containers are going back."
The number of export containers rose by 8.6 percent in the six-month p
eriod from January through June, to the best levels since 1997 and Asi
a's pre-financial crisis days. The number of empty containers shipped
through the port fell by 5.7 percent. Imports increased 5.6 percent, a
s American consumers continued to shop for clothing, shoes, toys, home
furnishings and electronics products made in Asia.
In the final month of the first half of the year, shipping terminals a
t the port moved 203,004 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of import con
tainers in June, a 4.4 percent increase over June 1999. It was the th
ird-consecutive month that imports topped the 200,000-TEU mark - dupli
cating a feat accomplished last fall by the port during the peak holid
ay shipping season.
Exports climbed 5.5 percent to 83,305 TEUs in June - the sixth-straigh
t month in which this year's exports showed improvement over the month
ly export total a year ago.
The total number of containers in June increased to the equivalent of
374,895 TEUs, less than a 1 percent gain over June 1999 as gains in im
ports and exports were offset by a decrease in empty containers. The n
umber of empty containers declined nearly 12 percent to 88,586 TEUs.
The number of inbound containers rose 4.4 percent to 203,003 TEUs. The
number of export containers increased 5.4 percent to 83,225 TEUs.