Trade moving through the Port of Long Beach cooled in June as retailers continued to clear warehouses.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 597,076 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, a 28.5% decline from June 2022, which was the Port's busiest June on record.

June's cargo volume is also lower than the 758,225 TEUs recorded in May.

The port said for June, imports were down 34% to 274,325 TEUs, while exports declined 18% to 94,508 TEUs.

Empty containers moving through the Port during the period also decreased by 25% to 228,243 TEUs.

"We are hopeful to obtain a greater percentile of market share," said Mario Cordero, chief executive officer at Port of Long Beach.

"We remain confident that our reliability, efficiency and unparalleled service will attract additional trade and economic activity to our Port," he added.

Sharon L. Weissman, for his part, noted that the Port of Long Beach continues to work with its industry partners to grow cargo volume and raise the bar on sustainable operations.

"Our highly skilled workforce, infrastructure projects and environmental programs continue to make us the Port of Choice," Weissman said.

Economists report that consumer spending exceeded expectations during the first half of 2023 and may flatten out through the rest of the year.

The Port has moved 3,732,676 TEUs during the first half of 2023, down 25.5% from the same period last year.