The Port of Long Beach said trade route adjustments, warehouse fill and consumer spending shifting to travel, entertainment and other experiences led to July container freight volumes dropping sharply.

In July, the Port of Long Beach handled 578,249 TEUs, a decrease of 26.4 percent from the July 2022 record.

Among them, imports decreased by 27.9, to 271,086 TEUs;

Exports decreased by 17.6 per cent to 90,134 TEUs;

Empty containers passing through the port decreased by 27.7 per cent to 217,030 TEUs.

Long Beach Port CEO Mario Cordero said: "I believe that as we work with industry partners to rebuild our market share, our port throughput data will improve."

He went on to add, "However, looking ahead to the near term, we expect shipping to have a modest 'peak season' as consumers this year spend less on back-to-school supplies and gifts over the holiday season."

Port of Long Beach Commission Chairman Bobby Olvera Jr. Optimistic, he noted that the major U.S. port is ready for a cargo rebound.

It is reported that the Port of Long Beach shipped 4,310,925 TEUs in the first seven months of 2023, down 25.6 percent from the same period last year, and freight volumes are now closer to pre-epidemic levels, when the Port of Long Beach shipped 4.3 million TEUs in the first seven months of 2019.

Source: one shipping