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In August, container volume dipped 12.3 percent to 535,929 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) at the Port of Long Beach, Calif., “reflecting a general weakness in the economy,” port officials said in a prepared statement.

Imports fell 14.2 percent to 267,198 TEUs and exports declined 3.8 percent to 121,277 TEUs compared with August 2010 volumes. Empty container moves decreased 15.1 percent to 147,454 TEUs.

“After experiencing record gains in 2010 and continued growth in the earlier part of the year, trade volumes have declined … as importers and retailers take a more cautious approach going into the holiday season,” port officials said, adding that through August, imports remained up 1.8 percent and exports still were up 2.6 percent for the year.

Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles in August handled 723,170 TEUs, down 5.3 percent compared with August 2010 volume. Imports dropped 5.7 percent to 376,189 TEUs but exports jumped 24.8 percent to 184,231 TEUs. Total loaded containers increased 2.5 percent to 560,421 TEUs and total empty containers fell 25 percent to 162,749 TEUs.

Through August, the port handled 5.2 million TEUs, up 0.4 percent compared with volume from 2010’s first eight months.