The following release was published by Port of Oakland:
The Port of Oakland September container volume remains consistent with volume throughout 2023.
Full TEUs (twenty-foot containers) rose 1.2% this September compared to September 2022, registering 134,186 TEUs, versus 132,559 TEUs in September 2022. However, they have remained flat compared to August 2023.
Full exports, which jumped 9.1%, handling 59,757 TEUs in September 2023 as opposed to 54,756 TEUs in September 2022, have stayed in the range of 55,000 TEUs to 65,000 TEUs throughout 2023.
Full imports inched down 4.3%, with 74,428 TEUs transiting the Port in September 2023, in contrast to 77,803 TEUs in September 2022, but are up slightly from August 2023, which reported 72,481 TEUs passing through Port terminals.
September 2023 saw empty imports drop 22.8%, with 11,208 TEUs handled by Port operators, compared to 14,510 TEUs in September 2022. Empty exports shrank by 29.8% in September 2023, with 26,429 TEUs passing through Port facilities, compared to 37,660 TEUs in September 2022.
Shipping volumes have declined globally. In response, shipping rates have declined to very low levels and ocean carriers have begun to alter their schedules, canceling some trans-Pacific vessel sailings.
Vessel calls continue to increase in 2023, with 744 calls, rising 17% over 2022.
“The Port of Oakland current container volume is consistent with the leveling off of global container traffic,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “Vessel calls to the Port have increased this year, pointing to a slow and steady recovery from the turmoil of the past couple of years.”
Container volumes typically spike in the fourth quarter in preparation for the holiday season. However, 2023 has yet to see a noticeable increase in cargo volume. This may be attributable to a combination of high inventory levels, retailers ordering more goods from factories in Mexico and Canada rather than Asia, and/or consumer demand slowing in the Port of Oakland’s main market--Northern California.
Source: Port of Oakland