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Port of Oakland expects return to pre-pandemic cargo volumes

November imports increase 13%

The Port of Oakland. (Photo: Sheila Fitzgerald/Shutterstock)

The Port of Oakland saw surging container imports continue in November, the 13th straight month of increased loads for the Northern California gateway. 

Full imports increased 13.1% in November from the same month in 2023. The port handled 80,580 twenty-foot equivalent units, compared to 71,258 TEUs a year ago.

“We are optimistic that strong container volume will continue through the end of the year,” said Carolyn Almquist, the port’s manager of business development and international marketing. “We expect to be on track to return to our pre-pandemic baseline cargo numbers. Our total inbound and outbound volume is up, and agricultural exports are boosting our outbound cargo business.”

Total container volume in 2019 was 2,500,461 TEUs, according to port data.


In November, loaded exports rose 8.5% to 66,619 TEUs, from 61,390 TEUs in November 2023.

Total cargo volume was up 10% year to date compared to the same period in 2023.

Empty imports dropped 14.8% to 12,028 TEUs in November 2024, compared to 14,118 TEUs y/y.

Empty exports increased 14.7% to 22,495 TEUs from 19,613 TEUs y/y.


Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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Stuart Chirls

Stuart Chirls is a journalist who has covered the full breadth of railroads, intermodal, container shipping, ports, supply chain and logistics for Railway Age, the Journal of Commerce and IANA. He has also staffed at S&P, McGraw-Hill, United Business Media, Advance Media, Tribune Co., The New York Times Co., and worked in supply chain with BASF, the world's largest chemical producer. Reach him at stuartchirls@firecrown.com.