The Port of Long Beach has recorded handling 402,710 teu (20 ft equivalent units) of containers in September, setting a new record, which represents an 8 per cent rise over the same month last year.
It was the second consecutive month that the port, the nation's busiest container port, has established new highs for total volume and imports.
'We've been saying pretty much the same thing for many months now,' said Don Wylie, the port's managing director of maritime services. 'But the totals, specifically the import totals, reflect our strong domestic economy. And the outlook, from everything we see, continues to be very good.' Long Beach port, which handled 399,303 teu in August, said September was the first time that it had surpassed 400,000 teu in a single month.
Between October 1998 and the end of September this year, the port handled 4.3 million teu through its berths, an 8.3 per cent rise over the 1997-98 fiscal year.
The year ended in September with a record month for imports. The number of inbound containers climbed to 219,080 teu, a 10.1 per cent increase compared with September last year.
The record volume indicates retailers are expecting a strong holiday shopping season.
September is usually a big import month for Long Beach, as retailers begin shipping high volumes of Asian-made clothing, toys and consumer electronics for the end-of-the-year holidays.