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After 15 consecutive months of cargo growth, the Port of Long Beach, Calif., registered a volume drop in March. The port handled 412,235 20-foot- equivalent units (TEUs), down 2.5 percent compared with March 2010 container volume.

Imports declined 7.5 percent to 191,211 TEUs, but exports rose 1 percent to 131,761 TEUs. Empty container moves increased 4.2 percent to 89,263 TEUs, with most empty containers bound overseas for refilling.

“February and March are typically slower months for port traffic as trade lags behind decreased manufacturing activity in Asia due to the Chinese New Year,” port officials said in a prepared statement.

At the Port of Los Angeles, March volume totaled 600,796 TEUs, up 9.2 percent compared with March 2010. Loaded inbound containers rose 10.2 percent to 297,023 TEUs, loaded outbound containers jumped 19.2 percent to 192,849 TEUs and total loaded containers climbed 13.5 percent to 489,872 TEUs. Total empty containers fell 6.6 percent to 110,923 TEUs. In the first quarter, the port’s total volume increased 10.2 percent to 1.8 million TEUs.

Meanwhile, Port Alberta's board recently named Wendy Cooper the Canadian port’s first president and chief executive officer. Previously CEO of Consulting Engineers of Alberta for 16 years, she will be responsible for helping develop a long-term operational and funding plan to establish Port Alberta as the Capital Region's gateway to global markets via air, rail, road, sea and pipeline. Cooper also will help secure financial support from municipal, provincial and federal governments.

In December, Port Alberta was incorporated as a nonprofit company in Alberta. The port’s recently appointed board includes representatives from CN, Canadian Pacific, Edmonton Airports, Edmonton Economic Development Corp., Momentive Specialty Chemicals Canada, Norterra, Oil Sands Development Group; ONPA Architects, Trans-Port International Corp. and Waiward Steel.
 
“Port Alberta’s incorporation is a significant step towards realizing our vision of establishing an effective transportation hub in the capital region that will advance business competitiveness throughout Alberta," said Daryl Procinsky of ONPA Architects, who chairs the board, in a prepared statement.