The U.S.\’ second busiest container port, the Port of Long Beach, just recorded its best August in its 109-year history.
“August marked another great month for the port, but we must remain vigilant about the global pandemic’s lasting effects,” said Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach.
This boost comes at the start of the peak shipping season, which typically runs from August to October, and after a few difficult months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dockworkers and terminal operators at the Port of Long Beach moved 725,610 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of cargo in August. Overall, there was a 9.3% increase compared to August 2019.
Data shows that imports rose nearly 13% to 364,792 TEUs and exports were up 1% to 126,177 TEUs. In addition, empty containers shipped overseas climbed 8.5% to 234,642 TEUs.
In August, demand for such goods as home improvement items and home exercise equipment contributed to the increase in shipments, along with another short-term increase in extra vessel visits that made up for voyages that were canceled earlier this year.
In the first eight months of 2020, port has moved 4,911,725 TEUs, down 1.2% from the same period in 2019. Despite the record August and busiest month ever in July, the port attributes COVID-19 to creating long-term economic uncertainty.
