16 July (Lloyd's List) - PORT of Long Beach reported its busiest June on record, surpassing even the unprecedented pandemic-era days.

The southern California gateway handled 842,446 teu last month, a 41.1% year-on-year increase, and just over 7,000 teu above the previous record set in June 2022.

Imports rose 53% year on year to 419,698 teu, and exports and empties rose 4% and 42.1% to 98,000 teu and 324,448 teu, respectively.

Last June was particularly weak at the port of Long Beach, due in part to a carrier switching some services to the adjacent port of Los Angeles. This, along with a rebound of volumes across the US this year, adds context to the Long Beach’s remarkable year-on-year increase in throughput and imports.

The port said consumer spending, potential tariff increases, and labour uncertainty on the east and Gulf coast ports – where the head of the longshore union is increasingly warning of a potential strike in October – helped the port reach its record figures.

“We are recapturing market share and consumer spending is driving cargo to our docks as we head into the peak shipping season,” port of Long Beach chief Mario Cordero said in a statement.

“I see modest growth for the second half of 2024 as we strengthen our competitiveness and continue to invest in our rail infrastructure projects that will maximise cargo velocity efficiently and sustainably for decades to come.”

The port of Los Angeles will release its June figures on Wednesday, which will help paint a more complete picture of the state of trade in the San Pedro Bay, the US’s largest container port complex.