The Port of Long Beach reported its busiest April on record as the cargo boom continues.
Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 746,188 twenty-foot equivalent units in April for a 43.6% increase from the same month last year. It was the first time the port handled more than 700,000 TEUs in the month of April and surpassed the previous record set in April 2019 by 118,066 TEUs.
The nation’s second busiest port said the ongoing cargo boom is largely driven by online purchases.
Imports grew 44.8% to 367,151 TEUs, while exports climbed 21% to 124,069 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the port were up 55.8% to 254,970 TEUs. Year-to-date the Port of Long Beach has moved 3,122,315 TEUs during, marking a 41.8% increase from the same period in 2020.
“International trade will help jumpstart the economy, and the Port of Long Beach will lead the way by protecting the health of our dockworkers and providing top-notch customer service to keep cargo moving,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach. “We remain optimistic as online spending continues to soar, retailers prepare for a busy summer season and businesses continue to reopen following months of closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We are in the midst of our best trade periods in Port history, but we cannot forget that the national economy remains in recovery mode,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “We are closely collaborating with our industry stakeholders to handle the resurgence of cargo we’re experiencing after the dramatic declines we saw last year due to COVID-19.”
April marked the 10th consecutive month that the Port of Long Beach has broken cargo movement records for a particular month amid a historic cargo surge that started in July 2020. However, the rise in online consumer spending continued to squeeze the national supply chain with loaded vessels, increased dwell times and shrinking capacity.
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