The Port of Oakland is reporting a 17% increase in full twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers for the first four months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, saying the numbers show that their full imports rose for a sixth consecutive month.
Seen over a longer term, the results reflects Oakland’s return to its historical average cargo volumes, rebounding from 2022 and 2023 declines, the port said.
Port leaders pointed to two reasons for their success, saying that greater schedule reliability for vessels is bringing back agricultural shippers that rely on predictable ship departures, and that cargo diverted during the pandemic is returning to the Oakland Seaport and bringing the volume of imported goods back to normal levels.
“It’s encouraging to see Oakland recover cargo volume as we focus on long term growth,” Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes said in a release. “Our investments in upgrading Port infrastructure are paying off, and they position us ideally to capture future freight business with increasing demand.”
For the month of April, the Port posted a 7.5% uptick in loaded imports to 75,335 TEUs, versus 70,112 TEUs in April 2023. Full exports also increased 6.9% in April 2024, reaching 67,566 TEUs in contrast to 63,193 TEUs in April 2023.
