San Pedro Bay Ports Set April Records

Written by Marybeth Luczak, Executive Editor
Aerial view of the San Pedro Bay Port Complex in California. (Photograph Courtesy of Port of Los Angeles)

Aerial view of the San Pedro Bay Port Complex in California. (Photograph Courtesy of Port of Los Angeles)

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., handled 887,357 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) and 820,718 TEUs, respectively, in April 2022. Volumes are expected to grow this summer once COVID-19 lockdowns end in China.

The Port of Los Angeles marked its second-best April, following only April 2021, when it posted a record 946,966 TEUs. Four months into 2022, the port has processed more than 3.5 million TEUs, 1% ahead of last year’s “record pace,” it said.

April 2022 loaded imports reached 456,670 TEUs, 6.8% lower than the same month last year, but 17% higher than the five-year April average of 390,000 TEUs. Loaded exports came in at 99,878 TEUs, a 12.7% decline compared with the same period last year. Exports have fallen 38 of the last 42 months in Los Angeles, according to the port. Empty containers reached 330,810 TEUs, down 3.4% from last year.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka

“We’ve had a remarkably strong start to the year and cargo continues to flow into Los Angeles despite some of the COVID lockdowns in China,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said. “While there are impacts being seen from sub-assembly to manufacturing through delivery, transpacific trade has held steady.

“Looking forward, while we don’t expect any abrupt changes, the situation in China may lead to a lull in volume with a fairly quick bounceback once the lockdowns end.”

The Port of Long Beach reported that it “achieved its most active April, continuing a streak of single-month records set in 2022.”

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 820,718 TEUs last month, up 10% from the previous record set in April 2021. The Port moved 3,281,377 TEUs during the first four months of 2022, a 5.1% increase from the same period in 2021.

Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero

In April 2022, imports rose 9.2% from the previous-year period to 400,803 TEUs, while exports were down 1.8% to 121,876 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the Port increased 16.9% from 2021 to 298,039 TEUs.

“Cargo continues to move at a record-setting pace and may not slow down anytime soon,” Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said. “We are preparing for a likely summertime surge as China recovers from an extended shutdown due to COVID-19.”

“We are working closely with our industry stakeholders to quickly move the cargo off our docks and make room for the next wave of containers,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Steven Neal said.

The San Pedro Bay ports—Long Beach and Los Angeles combined—said they have seen a 50% decline in aging cargo on the docks since late October.

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