E-commerce and a spike in Chinese productivity has driven the Port of Long Beach to its busiest February on record as its TEU volume increased by 43.3% year-on-year (YoY).
The Port said it processed 771,735 TEU in February 2021 as it achieved its best YoY ever. It was also the first time the Port of Long Beach handled more than 700,000 TEU in the month of February, exceeding the previous record set in February 2018 by 109,945 TEU.
Imports jumped 50.3% to 373,756 TEU, while exports declined 4.9% to 119,416 TEU. Empty containers moved through the Port climbed 69.6% to 278,563 TEUs.
Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach, “The supply chain workforce is giving its all to keep the cargo moving, even as their ranks are hit by the pandemic. New records are being set, demonstrating how busy they have been.”
“We understand that shippers are awaiting their cargo, and we are collaborating with our industry partners to deliver shipments as quickly as possible.”
Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna, also commented, “Our top priority is vaccinating our essential front-line workers, both for their sake and the sake of the economy.
“We are advocating for the distribution of vaccinations to keep supply chain workers healthy and maintain the flow of cargo.”
Although activity typically slows in February as east Asian factories close for up to two weeks to celebrate the Lunar New Year, China largely worked through the holiday to fill back orders and meet the increasing demands of consumers ordering items online.
The Port said it is experiencing a historic cargo surge that started in July 2020 after China resumed exports following the pandemic induced slump. The ensuing congestion has caused chaos and delay across the US supply chain and some experts have called upon regulators to take action to alleviate the problem.
