LA port sets another cargo record in 2017

By Jite Eriabie 

The Port of Los Angeles moved more cargo in 2017 than in any time in the port’s 110-year history, racking up 9.3 million TEUs.

This represents a 5.5 percent increase over 2016’s record-breaking year when the port handled 8.8 million TEUs.

As informed, it is the most cargo moved annually by a Western Hemisphere port.

“2017 was a year beyond expectations but it was not by chance. Our growth is a direct result of a concerted, multi-year effort by the port and its many partners to maximize efficiency throughout the supply chain,” Gene Seroka, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director, commented.

“We are extremely proud of the role our workforce has played in achieving this cargo milestone, and in keeping the San Pedro Bay port complex the number one trade gateway in the US,” Mark Mendoza, President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union 13, noted.

Supply chain efficiencies implemented by the port in 2017 included technology upgrades, like the new “Port Optimizer” digital information portal. The optimizer aggregates key cargo data online to facilitate better cargo tracking, projections, and productivity.

During the previous year, infrastructure upgrades were completed at TraPac Container Terminal and Yusen Terminals. They continue to boost the port’s ability to service increasingly larger ships, as well as to more efficiently facilitate cargo movement throughout its terminals, the Port of Los Angeles said in a statement.