The Port of Los Angeles reports a 19.1% decrease, to 770,189 TEU from 952,553 TEU, in combined import and export container volumes in October 2019 compared to the port’s record-breaking October of 2018.

The decrease if very much in line with the 22% drop in US-China trade reported by the UN Conference on Trade and Development.

For 2019 total container volumes have increased 1.8%, from 7,723,159 to 7,861,965 TEU.

Import volume decreased by 19.1% (93,055 TEU) to 392,768 TEU, export volume fell 19.3% (33,492 TEU) to 140,332 TEU, the 12th consecutive monthly decline of exports, while empty container volume declined 19% to 237,088 TEU. 

Interestingly the Port of Oakland’s export volume increased 10.8 percent to 87,393 TEU last month compared to October 2018 volumes, while import container volume declined 4.6% in October.

On an annual basis export volumes increased 3.5% over last year and import volumes increased by 2.7% for the year while overall container volume, including empty containers, remained unchanged.