Port of Long Beach marks record year after imports spike

The Port of Long Beach handled 8.1m teu in 2020, marking its busiest year on record, as a surge in imports in the latter part of the year offset previous canceled sailings caused by the pandemic.

December saw volumes jump by 23%, with imports leaping 26% as retailers stocked their shelves for the holiday shopping season, making up for lost time earlier in the year.

Over the year as a whole, imports rose by 6% to almost 4m teu, exports totaled 1.5m teu remaining at previous levels, while empty containers increased by 10% to 2.6m teu.