A grain transloader at the Port of Los Angeles. Click on the image to read the full article in the Los Angeles Times.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, long known as America’s gateway for imported goods, are trying to generate more export business as the international trade sector struggles to regain its sea legs. The mission is vital for the twin ports and the thousands of people who work on the docks as well as for trucking companies, warehouses and logistics businesses in Southern California: A new report shows that the local ports’ reliance on foreign toys, clothing and other products heightened the region’s economic suffering when the global recession squeezed the flow of imports, while ports with more balanced operations fared better and now are recovering more quickly.
With 71% of their business devoted to imports, Los Angeles and Long Beach were more dependent on U.S. consumer spending than any other major seaport in the nation.