Containerized imports generally lagged but exports continued to grow in October at the ports of Oakland, Portland, Tacoma and Seattle.
Year-to-date exports at all of the northern West Coast ports are higher this year than they were in the first 10 months of 2010, reflecting the continued strong growth of U.S. exports. The trend toward growing U.S. exports should accelerate in the coming months and peak in March, which is usually the strongest export month of the year on the West Coast. West Coast ports are among the leaders in exports of agricultural products to Asia.