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PORT OF LA SAYS VOLUMES "HOLDING STEADY" DESPITE CHINA LOCKDOWNS
May 17, 2022
The Port of Los Angeles (Port of LA) reported that volumes continued to hold steady despite disruptions in China with the ongoing lockdown measures in Shanghai.
Gene Seroka, Port of Los Angeles executive director said the port handled 887,357 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) last month, the second-best April in its 115-year history, and four months in to 2022, it has processed more than 3.5 million TEUs, 1% ahead of last year's record pace.
"We've had a remarkably strong start to the year and cargo continues to flow into Los Angeles despite some of the COVID lockdowns in China," Seroka said. "While there are impacts being seen from sub-assembly to manufacturing through delivery, transpacific trade has held steady."
Lull in volume; quick bounce expected
"Looking forward," added Seroka, "while we don't expect any abrupt changes, the situation in China may lead to a lull in volume with a fairly quick bounceback once the lockdowns end."
Overall April volumes were second only to 2021 when the Port of LA moved a record 946,966 TEUs.
The port noted that April 2022's loaded imports reached 456,670 TEUs compared to the previous year, a decrease of 6.8% but 17% higher than the five-year April average of 390,000 TEUs.
Loaded exports came in at 99,878 TEUs, a 12.7% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, exports have declined 38 of the last 42 months in Los Angeles, and empty containers reached 330,810 TEUs, down 3.4% compared to last year.
