August Cargo at Port of Los Angeles Approaches 1 Million Container Units
The Port of Los Angeles handled a near-record 960,597 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in August, a 16% increase over the previous year. It was the busiest non-pandemic month ever at the Port.
Eight months into 2024, the Port of Los Angeles is 17% ahead of its 2023 pace, already moving nearly 1 million more containers than last year.
“The American consumer continues to spend and that’s helping to power our economy,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said at a media briefing. “Some of the cargo arriving now is replenishing inventories even beyond the year-end holiday season. Combined with a steady flow of manufacturing parts and components, we should continue to see elevated volume in the near term.
“It’s been a very busy summer on our docks and I’m thankful to all of our dedicated waterfront workers and terminal operators for their commitment for handling this level of volume safely and efficiently through America’s Port,” Seroka added.
George Goldman, the President and CEO of the North America division of CMA CGM, a global leader in ocean shipping, logistics and terminal operations, joined Seroka at the briefing. Goldman discussed the factors behind the recent surge of volume and U.S. ports and what to expect in the coming months.
August 2024 loaded imports landed at 509,363 TEUs, an 18% increase compared to the previous year. Loaded exports came in at 121,744 TEUs, a slight drop of 3% compared to 2023. The Port processed 329,491 empty containers, a 22% jump compared to 2023.
Overall, the Port has moved 6,631,688 TEUs the first eight months of 2024, a 17% increase over the 2023 mark.
Source: Port of Los Angeles