CONTAINER imports through the Port of Long Beach decreased 15.6 per cent in November year on year, while exports declined 22.2 per cent and the total container volume, including empties, fell 17.6 per cent.

One of the reasons of the fall of Long Beach's container volumes was due to the move of Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) and its terminal operator, California United Terminals (CUT), from Long Beach to Los Angeles, reported Newark's Journal of Commerce, adding that Los Angeles' volumes were perked up accordingly.

Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles posted a 6.2 per cent increase in container imports in November year on year, accompanying a 15 per cent rise in exports and a 4.1 per cent growth in total container volume.

Port spokesman Art Wong said that if the contributions from Hyundai through California United Terminals (CUT) were excluded, Long Beach's imports actually decreased 2.9 per cent, exports shrank 12.2 per cent and total container volume dropped 6.9 per cent from November 2010.

Compared to October, Long Beach container imports were down 3.5 per cent like a more normal seasonal decline. But compared to the year's peak in July, the import volumes dropped more than 20 per cent.

Long Beach not only loses a large transpacific carrier HMM, but also some niche carriers that deploy smaller 3,000-TEU vessels on their declining eastbound trade lanes.

Year to date, figures of Long Beach's performance, including CUT's business, indicate a 3.3 per cent decline in imports, 4.1 per cent decrease in exports and 3.5 per cent contraction in total container volume.