Port Volumes Finally Head Up

The Port of Long Beach had an 8.7% increase in cargo volumes in January.

LOS ANGELES—The Port of Long Beach is starting off 2017 with a bang after a downtrodden end to 2016. In the month of January, the port reported an 8.7% increase in cargo volumes compared to January 2016. The year-over-year increase was significant, considering that January 2016 saw a 25% year-over-year increase in cargo volumes.

“We saw activity rise in January in part to the increase in activity at our Pier T, thanks to additional ships from MSC,” Lee Peterson of the Port of Long Beach, tells GlobeSt.com. “The terminal at Pier T, our biggest, was never closed due to the Hanjin bankruptcy, but the flow of cargo did slow down at the end of 2016. We’re likely seeing that turnaround now. Also, the start of Chinese New Year on Jan. 28 convinced many shippers to transport their goods before the holiday. They prefer to bring through more cargo before the new year festival, which can see the closure of some industries for one-to-two weeks.”