The Port of Long Beach, California reported last Thursday that container trade volume at the Port continued to fall in October, with overall volume slumping 20.5 percent from October 2010; imports were down 20.8 percent and exports dipped 21.4 percent.
The Port moved 487,665 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, down from 527,175 TEUs handled in September and much lower than the 613,621 TEUs in October 2010. In a press release, the Port of Long Beach said that this was "the largest percentage drop so far this year comparing same monthly periods from a year ago, and it represents the fourth straight month of decline." Year-to-date, imports are down 2 percent and exports have declined 1 percent from the same period a year ago.