Port of Long Beach posts 11.1% container decline

The Port of Long Beach said Friday the COVID-19 pandemic continued to drive down demand for goods in the second quarter of 2020, leading to an increase in canceled sailings and a decline in containers shipped through the gateway.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 602,180 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, an 11.1% decline compared to June 2019, the port said. Imports shrank 9.3% to 300,714 TEUs and exports dropped 12.2% to 117,538 TEUs. Empty containers shipped to Asia were down 13.1% to 183,928 TEUs.

The port said economic uncertainty brought on by decreased consumer spending and ongoing health concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic contributed to a 6.9% volume drop in the first half of 2020 to 3,433,035 TEUs.