North American ports took a significant hit in the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic caused economic uncertainty and weakened consumer demand for goods, leading to sharp declines in port cargo volumes and an increase in canceled sailings.
By the second half of the year, however, volumes rebounded sharply at the largest U.S. seaports.
In Southern California, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach each reported record third-quarter volumes, marking the busiest three-month period in the history of both ports.
“Large retail stores are reopening, merchants are stocking up for the winter holidays and the increased use of e-commerce appears to be an enduring trend picked up by consumers during the recent stay-at-home orders,” said Mario Cordero, executive director of the Port of Long Beach. “Still, we must move ahead with caution during the remaining months of 2020 because the national economy continues to be heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Amid these dramatic swings in demand, ports have continued to pursue infrastructure improvement projects.