June brings volume swoon for L.A. port, slight gain for Long Beach port

Cargo volume rose slightly in June at the Port of Long Beach, Calif. The port handled 565,476 20-foot equivalent container units (TEUs), up 1.8 percent compared with June 2012.

Import volume increased 3.5 percent to 290,448 TEUs, export volume inched up 0.1 percent to 133,800 TEUs and empty container volume was flat at 141,228 TEUs.

Through the year's first half, the port's total traffic rose 14.2 percent year over year.

"At the mid-year point, the port's container volumes show gains, including 16.2 percent more imports, 10.1 percent more exports and 14.8 percent more empties," port officials said in a June traffic summary. "Larger ships began calling more frequently at the port starting in mid- to late 2012, and June 2012 was the top month for imports that year."

Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles reported total June volume of 646,650 TEUs, down 7.2 percent compared with June 2012 volume.

Import volume tumbled 7.2 percent to 328,325 TEUs, export volume fell 15 percent to 148,203 TEUs, total loaded volume dipped 9.8 percent to 476,528 TEUs and empty container volume inched up 0.1 percent to 170,122 TEUs.

Through the first half, the port's total traffic declined 7.5 percent to 3,710,959 TEUs.