Vol. 75/No. 39      October 31, 2011

Figures for August and September, the key months for these end-of-the-year shipments, show imports of cargo containers are down compared to last year, a result of declining trade and production that’s at the root of the ongoing worldwide capitalist economic crisis. Resulting high unemployment, rising debts, and growing number of underwater home mortgages affect spending and lead retail stores to order fewer goods.

In Los Angeles, with the nation’s highest volume container port, overall export and import cargo traffic in September declined 0.8 percent compared to a year earlier. While imports fell by just 0.2 percent that month, in August they were down 5.8 percent.

“We may have reached a plateau and the traditional peak season has not materialized,” Port of Los Angeles spokesman Phillip Sanfield told the Los Angeles Times.

Based on preliminary figures, imported cargo at the Port of Long Beach, the second largest, is expected to be down 5 to 8 percent in September, after dropping 14.2 percent the previous month, noted the Times.

The declines in Los Angeles and Long Beach are reflected in other major ports. According to Zepol Corp., overall U.S. import volumes were down 4.5 percent in September compared with a year earlier, the Times reported.  
 
 
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