Port Container Traffic Up Over Last Year
During the first three months of this year, the number of cargo ships calling at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach dipped slightly compared to 2006.
According to the Marine Exchange of Southern California, 739 container-hauling vessels called at the two ports during the first three months of this year, making up half of all ships arriving at the largest port complex in the United States. In the first quarter of 2006, there were 743 container ships that docked at the ports during the first quarter of 2007.
However, the number of containers arriving at the two ports is up considerably, which means ships are carrying more cargo per trip.
At the Port of Los Angeles, the number of 20-foot cargo containers arriving at the docks was 1.3 million, up 22 percent during the first two months of 2007 over the same time period in 2006, according to the latest statistics available. At the Port of Long Beach, the cargo container traffic was up 3.4 percent for the first two months of 2007 compared to 2006.
According to the National Retail Federation, traffic at the nation’s retail container ports is climbing and should hit a new alltime record in July. August is also expected to experience record-breaking container traffic.
“Despite the volume, U.S. ports are operating without congestion, and there is adequated truck and rail capacity to handle the incoming cargo,” said Global Insight economist Paul Bingham, who tracks port traffic for the National Retail Federation. —D.B.
