Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach turn in record-breaking April volumes

The two largest ports in the United States—the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB) each had record-breaking months in April, according to data respectively issued by the ports this week.

POLA reported that total April volume—at 946,966 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)—marked a 37.4% annual increase, for its busiest April in the port’s 114-year history.

April POLA imports came in at 490,127 TEU, for a 32.4% annual increase, with exports off 12.2%, to 114,449 TEU. And empty containers—at 342,391 TEU—climbed 81.6% compared to April 2020.

On a year-to-date basis through April, total POLA volume—at 3,539,397 TEU—is up 42.2%. When compared to 2019, the last full pre-pandemic year, April is still up 20%.

“It has truly been an unprecedented run here at POLA,” said the port’s executive director Gene Seroka on a media call earlier today. “This outpaced the previous record set in 2019 by a hefty 29%. This marks the ninth consecutive month of [annual] increases, following 11 straight months of declines. Remarkably, we continue to average 900,000 TEU per month, dating all the way back to last July.”

Seroka said 89 vessels arrived into POLA in April, including two extra loaders, compared to 76 in April 2020. And he said POLA averaged 16 container vessels per day at berth in April, whereas prior to the current cargo surge, the monthly average was around ten.

Regarding the April import tally, Seroka said it has only been eclipsed twice before, adding that the consumer confidence index has increased for four straight months, as Americans are both spending more and getting COVID-19 vaccinations, coupled with federal stimulus checks reaching households, as businesses are reopening, with more than 8.1 million jobs now available.

As for exports, he said POLA exports, including April, have now dropped in 27 of the last 30 months. And he said the port’s import-to-export ratio now stands at roughly 4.3:1, which is the highest gap the port has seen yet. And, in regards to empties, he said the port’s April tally is just a few thousand TEU shy of March’s all-time record.

“This is another reason why we are seeing such low export numbers today,” he said.

POLB Data: The Port of Long Beach reported that April volumes turned in its highest-ever levels for April, in the port’s history, coming in at 746,188 TEU, for a 43.6% annual increase, paced, in large part, by the cargo boom derived from e-commerce activity.

What’s more, the April tally marked the first time that POLB handled more than 700,000 TEU in the month of April, topping April 2019 by 118,066 TEU.

POLB reported that imports increased 44.8% to 367,151 TEU, and exports climbed 21% to 124,069 TEUs. Empty headed up 55.8% to 254,970 TEU, for the month.

On a year-to-date basis, POLB has moved 3,122,315 TEU through April, representing a 41.8% annual increase. POLB

“International trade will help jumpstart the economy, and the Port of Long Beach will lead the way by protecting the health of our dockworkers and providing top-notch customer service to keep cargo moving,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach, in a statement. “We remain optimistic as online spending continues to soar, retailers prepare for a busy summer season and businesses continue to reopen following months of closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

POLB also noted that April’s tally represents the 10th straight month POLB has set new cargo volume records for a specific month, going back to July 2020. And it added that the rise in online consumer spending continued to squeeze the national supply chain with loaded vessels, increased dwell times and shrinking capacity.