This year, the Port of Los Angeles went from handling the lowest container volumes it had seen in over a decade to taking in near-record levels of imports.
“August will be one of the best months we’ve had in our port’s history,” said Gene Seroka, the port’s executive director. “And September, right now, is looking to be looking very strong as well, from our forward indications.
People have also been buying a lot of bulky items to set up home offices — desks, chairs and computer monitors. And that filled a lot of shipping containers, too.
Eswar Prasad, a professor of trade policy at Cornell University, said for those who have a holiday budget, “people have to spend their money on something.”
Prasad said when we can’t spend much on experiences and other services, we’re likely to spend more on goods.