LONG BEACHÆS FEBRUARY VOLUME OFF 11.1%
Shipping terminals at the Port of Long Beach handled 322,606 TEUs in February, a decline of 11.1 percent from February 2002.
“Slowed by the Feb. 1 Chinese New Year shutdown in Asia, inbound container cargo traffic fell 21.5 percent to 158,863 TEUs, “compared with higher-than-usual numbers for the same period a year ago, when the Chinese New Year was on Feb. 13,” said port spokesman Art Wong.
February outbound container cargo fell 18.8 percent to 67,645 TEUs. Empty containers increased 24.2 percent to 96,098 TEUs.
The lower numbers also reflect Maersk Sealand's departure from the port in August.