The Port of Los Angeles last year posted record cargo volumes amid rising imports at the largest container gate in the U.S. and the supply chain caused by the plague.
The West Coast port handled 10.7 million 20-foot container units in 2021, a volume of 13% more than in 2018, the previous peak year, CEO Gene Saruka said.
“We have learned how much cargo we can carry through our port in exceptional circumstances,” Saruka said at a virtual event on Thursday. While workers routinely break monthly records, port workers faced longer hours and bottlenecks on and off the coast.
U.S. supply chains were squeezed under unprecedented demand, labor shortages and truck chassis and beyond buying more material products, as Americans avoided travel and social outings during the epidemic.
Neighboring Long Beach Harbor also peaked this year, passing 9.38 million 20-foot equivalent units last year, nearly 16 percent more than a year earlier, it said Wednesday. And further north in Auckland – the preferred export gate for California’s agricultural exporters and for refrigerated proteins – import volumes have skyrocketed in the port’s 94-year history, it was written on Thursday.
Los Angeles and Long Beach received a record number of incoming shipments in 2021 and despite efforts by the ports and the Biden administration, delays continue in two operations, handling about 40 percent of U.S. incoming containers.
Inbound investment
The recent bipartisan infrastructure law contains $ 17 billion for ports and inland waterways, and the U.S. military announced plans on Wednesday to invest more than $ 14 billion for upgrades to strengthen in the face of climate change threats.
Earlier this month, Governor Gavin Newsum earmarked $ 2.3 billion in the California budget to address the shortage of commercial trucks and increase capacity on railroads and other port improvements.
Saroka said dollars for the Port of Los Angeles will be transferred to improve digital infrastructure and cyber security, as well as transportation improvements. The investments will also help develop zero-emission port drainage systems and manpower training, he said.
Scanned stressed the need for better port connectivity across the U.S., similar to the power grid or air traffic control system. The Biden administration is working with industry on a national data port initiative “that will help keep our supply chain moving,” he said.
“Data can help us unravel the complexity of the global supply chain,” he said. “Shared data makes us all more competitive, and we owe it to our nation to make it happen.”