LA/LB close weakest year since 2016 despite strong finish, but uncertainty is shifting eastwards
The largest US port complex handled 16.6m teu in 2023 — its lowest in seven years — despite an improved finish following labour contract ratification
Volumes were soft in San Pedro Bay last year, as the end of the lockdown-induced shipping boom bloated inventories, and protracted ILWU-PMA negotiations chipped at cargo. But the final months of 2023 saw some improvements, and with uncertainty shifting eastwards, Los Angeles and Long Beach are poised to recapture market share this year
