Consumer demand fires strong July for LA port

The Port of Los Angeles handled 960,464 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July, marking the second-highest July total in the port’s history and extending a run of historically elevated cargo volume at the nation’s busiest seaport. The figure followed a June that surpassed 1 million units, leaving July just shy of that threshold. “After topping 1 million container units in June, we nearly reached that mark again in July,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, in a media briefing. “Businesses continue to move cargo when they see windows of opportunity amid an evolving trade environment, while resilient consumer demand is helping keep imports at historically strong levels. ” July volume came in 6% below the same month a year earlier, when shippers rushed to frontload cargo in anticipation of looming trade policy changes.