Port of Los Angeles Reports Record Cargo Volume in 2016; 8.8 Million TEU Handled

An MOL container berths at the Port of Los Angeles. File photo: Port of Los Angeles

Cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles reached 8,856,782 TEU in 2016, marking the busiest year ever for the port or any port in the Western Hemisphere Port for that matter, the Port of Los Angeles said Thursday.

The previous record was set in 2006, when the Port of Los Angeles handled 8,469,853 TEUs.

The port finished the year with December volumes of 796,536 TEUs, a 27 percent increase compared to the same period last year. This marks the bbusiest December and fourth quarter in the ports 110-year history. Overall in 2016, cargo increased 8.5 percent compared to 2015.

“I salute our industry stakeholders and thank Mayor Garcetti and the policymakers and agencies at the state and federal level that have supported our various Supply Chain Optimization initiatives over the past year,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “To handle this much volume with minimal issues is an extraordinary accomplishment and demonstrates our capability-building efforts here in the San Pedro Bay complex.”

“We’re proud to be the backbone that makes the San Pedro Bay port one of the world’s leading trade gateways,” said Bobby Olvera Jr., President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 13. “Longshore workers played a critical role in this milestone and we look forward to doing our part to process more cargo through the port complex in 2017.”

December imports increased 22.6 percent to 394,217 TEUs. Exports jumped 25.6 percent to 164,900 TEUs. Along with a 23.5 percent rise in empty containers, overall December container volumes were 796,536 TEUs.

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