Neighbouring Long Beach's box throughput did the opposite by rising 7.9 per cent to 614,860 TEU, marking its highest cargo activity for the month of April since 2006.

 

Los Angeles' port authority said April's comparisons to 2014 were skewed by the fact that importers pre-shipped orders earlier than normal due to concerns about pending labour negotiations with unionised dockworkers that resulted in eight months of declining productivity until a tentative agreement was signed on February 20, reported American Shipper. 

 

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union's member ratification vote is scheduled for May 22.

 

Port of Los Angeles officials were cited in a report by Logistics Management describing April 2014 as "particularly robust as importers advanced inventory due to concerns about labour negotiations later in the year," coupled with vessel alliance uncertainties this April, with shipping lines trying to return to regular Transpacific rotations following congestion issues during the contract negotiations.

 

Year-to-date, container throughput fell 5.3 per cent at the Los Angeles port to 2.5 million TEU compared with the same period last year.

 

Imports in April shrunk by 9.9 per cent to 328,140 TEU, while exports declined 15.8 per cent to 145,655 TEU. Empty container handling was down 12 per cent for the month.

 

Over at the port of Long Beach imports were up a 7.3 per cent to 317,376 TEU last month, with exports down 6.1 per cent to 137,546 TEU, while empties rose 25.3 per cent to 159,938 TEU.

 

In April, the terminals were also working through the backlog left over from the winter's congestion in San Pedro Bay," POLB officials said. "By the end of the month, no more container ships were waiting at anchor to come into the Port of Long Beach."

 

(Source:shippingazette)