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Port of Oakland import volume approaches pre-pandemic level

But total container traffic still lags behind 2018 historical peak.

chart of port of oakland container traffic
Ben Ames
By Ben AmesNov 22, 2024
Ben Ames
Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.
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The Port of Oakland’s container volume continued its growth in the fourth quarter, as total container volume rose 10% over the same period in 2023, and loaded imports grew for the 12th straight month, approaching pre-pandemic levels.

Specifically, loaded import volume rose 11.2% in October 2024, compared to October 2023, as port operators processed 81,498 TEUs (twenty-foot containers), versus 73,281 TEUs in 2023, the port said today.

However, the port’s total container volume overall continues to lag behind its 2018 historical peak of 2,546,399 TEU, as seen by its most recent complete year mark of 2,065,709 TEU for 2023.

“Overall, the Port’s loaded import cargo is trending towards its pre-pandemic level,” Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes said in a release. “This steady increase in import volume in 2024 is an encouraging trend. We are also seeing a rise in US agricultural exports through Oakland. Thanks to refrigerated warehousing on Port property near the maritime terminals and convenient truck and rail access, we are well-positioned to continue to grow ag export cargo volume through the Oakland Seaport.”

In a separate release, the port said it continues to rank number one by TEU volume in international refrigerated (reefer) export trade among United States ports through October. If that trend continues through December, the port would take the nation’s top rank for the eighth consecutive year.

Looking deeper into its October statistics, loaded exports declined 3.4%, registering 66,649 TEUs in October 2024, compared to 68,974 TEUs in October 2023. Despite that slight decline, the category has grown 6.7% between January and October 2024 compared to the same period last year.

In fact, Oakland’s exports have been declining over the past decade, a long-term trend that is largely due to the reduction in demand for recycled paper exports. However, agricultural exports have made up for some of the export losses from paper, the port said.

For the fourth quarter, empty exports bumped up 30.6%. Port operators processed 29,750 TEUs in October 2024, compared to 22,775 TEUs in October 2023. And empty imports increased 15.3%, with 15,682 TEUs transiting Port facilities in October 2024, in contrast to 13,597 TEUs in October 2023.

ArticleMaritime & OceanEditorialTransportation
port of oakland
ArticleMaritime & OceanEditorialTransportation
port of oakland

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