Port of Oakland import volume climbs 8.7 percent in November

Eighth increase in last nine months; for the year, a slight gain over 2014

Oakland, CA – December 11, 2015: The Port of Oakland reported today that November containerized import volume jumped 8.7 percent from a year ago. It was the eighth increase at the Port in the past nine months.

The Port said that import volume for the first 11 months of 2015 is up 0.4 percent from last year. It termed the performance significant in light of a nearly 40 percent volume decline last winter.

“We’re finishing the year much stronger than we started,” said Maritime Director John Driscoll. “Our goal now is to keep the momentum up heading into 2016.”

The Port said healthy consumer demand may have been behind November’s import increase. Containerized trade volume typically slows at year end as retailers complete holiday inventory buildups.

The Port said export volume declined 1.5 percent last month. Weaker demand in China for U.S. goods contributed to the decrease. Total container volume – imports, exports and empty containers – declined 0.3 percent in November. For complete cargo statistics: click HERE.