The sister Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reported record cargo volume for November. A combination of increased consumer spending, holiday shipments and replenishment of warehouse inventories resulted in an unprecedented surge of cargo in recent months.

The Port of Los Angeles processed 889,746 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in November, an increase of 22% compared to November 2019. Though POLA reports year-to-date, overall cargo volume is 3% lower compared to 2019.

Port of Los Angeles’ Gene Seroka says, “Since August, monthly cargo volume has averaged almost 930,000 TEUs. It’s unusual to see this kind of import activity this late in the year. But 2020 has been anything but normal. With consumers continuing to stay-at-home and purchase goods rather than services, we expect robust activity on our docks to continue for at least several months.”

Meanwhile across the sprawling SoCal port complex, the Port of Long Beach reported its best November on record, lifted by the holiday retail rush and a surge in personal protective equipment deliveries amid the latest nationwide wave of COVID-19 cases. Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 783,523 TEUs last month in Long Beach, a 30.6% jump compared to November 2019.

Port of Long Beach’s Mario Cordero says, “Online shopping and PPE purchases are on the rise as consumers continue the stay-at-home lifestyle, but the overall economic outlook is uncertain with another wave of COVID-19 spreading across the country.”

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