A representative of the Port of Los Angeles said he expects March volume through the United States' busiest seaport to be significantly down.
"Our numbers in March will probably come in pretty horrific," said Eric Caris, assistant director of marketing, at TOC Asia in Shanghai last week. "The Chinese New Year was especially slow. I flew over the port last week and I saw a lot of pavement."
Volume was down in the Port of Los Angeles 1.3 percent in 2007, with China accounting for 55 percent of Los Angeles' volume, at a value of $115.2 billion.
Caris said the two San Pedro Bay ports (Los Angeles and Long Beach) could handle 65 million TEUs by 2030.
"I know that seems high, but previous volume forecasts have always been conservative," he said.
Six of the seven terminals in Los Angeles are proposed to be expanded, projects that if completed would lift capacity in Los Angeles alone to 21.5 million TEUs. The other terminal, APM Terminals' Pier 400, could be expanded, through the addition of reclaimed land, if demand drives it.
However, all of Los Angeles' expansion projects find themselves at the mercy of environmental watchdogs, who want to ensure that if the port grows, it does so without increasing air pollution.
Caris also addressed the issue of myriad container fees and trade taxes proposed or passed for Southern California's container ports.
"Some major shippers are telling us they are diversifying to get around the container fees," Caris said, when asked whether he was worried the fees might harm throughput.
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