US west-coast box port moved more than 8.1m teu in 2020, setting a record in the face of economic uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the trade war with China.
The Port of Long Beach moved more than 8.1m teu in 2020, setting a record in the face of economic uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the trade war with China.
“I want to thank our frontline workers on the docks who kept cargo moving during this unprecedented moment in history, ensuring the safe, secure and timely delivery of vital medical equipment and consumer goods,” said POLB executive director Mario Cordero.
Long Beach ended 2020, its busiest year on record, with 8.11m teu moved, an increase of 6.3% over 2019. Imports rose 6.4% to 3.99m teu, exports were up 0.2% to 1.48m teu, and empties increased 9.9% to 2.64m teu.
“We have all endured incredible hardships with Covid-19, but I am looking forward to 2021 as a time of economic recovery and a renewed focus on our industry partners, infrastructure projects and community stakeholders,” Mr Cordero said.
Mr Cordero told Lloyd’s List that Covid-19 vaccine should be distributed immediately to longshore and other waterfront workers in the US.
“These essential workers have kept this country’s supply chain functioning since Day One of the pandemic, and they are at high risk,” he said, noting that since August, the longshore community has suffered nine deaths from Covid-19 in the San Pedro ports complex.
“We are concerned about labour at our nation’s port gateways if we do not prioritise the distribution of the vaccine to the men and women on the waterfront,” he said.
“Covid-19 is having impacts across the supply chain workforce. While we don’t have specific information on the various sectors, certainly the need to socially distance is impacting operations at warehouses and distribution centres.”
Earlier this week, Lloyd’s List reported a link between emissions of particulate matter — specifically PM2.5 — and higher death rates from Covid-19. The emissions threaten the lives of workers along the supply chain in Southern California, including the ports as well as inland warehouses and distribution centres.
Port officials meanwhile said that during the first half of 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic reduced consumer demand for goods, leading to a 6.9% decline in cargo compared to the same period in 2019.
As a result, Long Beach and neighbouring Los Angeles together saw 104 cancelled sailings in the first half of 2020, up from 41 cancelled sailings for both ports in the first half of 2019.
During the second half of 2020, the situation changed dramatically with preliminary estimates showing that Long Beach had 104 unscheduled containership calls that more than made up for 37 voyages cancelled earlier in the year.
The increased numbers of sailings were driven by rising demand for medical equipment, along with home improvement items, exercise equipment and office furniture as consumers endured shelter-in-place orders and worked from home during the Covid-19 epidemic.
The surge in cargo continued through the final months of 2020 as retailers stocked their shelves for the holiday shopping season.
Along with capping 2020 as its all-time busiest year, the port accomplished two additional records in December by achieving the busiest month and the most active quarter in its 110-year history.
The port processed 2.41m teu from October 1 to December 31, a 23% increase from the fourth quarter of 2019. It also topped the previous record set during the third quarter of 2020 by 131,740 teu.
Trade was up 22.6% in December compared to the same period in 2019 as dockworkers and terminal operators moved 815,885 teu, breaking the earlier best month record set in October 2020 by 9,282 teu.
Imports grew 25.6% last month to 406,072 teu compared to December 2019, while exports increased 5.6% to 132,374 teu and empties returning overseas jumped 26.3% to 263,852 teu.
Source: Lloyd´s
