Despite just a modest rise in consumer spending nationally, the Port of Long Beach reported its busiest July on record Tuesday, with an increase in the movement of empty containers offsetting drops in imports and exports.
The port moved 785,843 twenty-foot equivalent units last month, topping the previous July mark, set last year, by .13%, data released Tuesday by the port showed.
While imports declined 1.8% to 376,175 TEUs and exports dipped .5% to 109,411 TEUs, those declines were offset by a 2.8% increase in empty containers that moved through the port — totaling 300,257 TEUs — port officials said.
The port has now set records in six of the last seven months. In addition, 5,793,621 TEUs moved through the port during the first seven months of the year — up 4.6% over the same period last year.