IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
The Port of Los Angeles Thursday finished processing 10 million container units in the previous 12 months, the first port in the western hemisphere to accomplish that feat.
Mayor Eric Garcetti, longshore labor leaders and port officials gathered at the Fenix Marine Services Container Terminal to watch the 10 millionth container loaded onto the Amerigo Vespucci, according to a statement.
“The port is the beating heart of our economy, the backbone of our region’s prosperity, and the crossroads that makes Los Angeles a true gateway to the rest of the world,” Garcetti said in the statement. “Reaching this remarkable milestone is a reflection of its role as a critical engine of the global supply chain — and a testament to our unmatched port infrastructure and highly-skilled workforce.”
Stacked end-to-end, 10 million containers would circle the world one and a half times, according to Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners President Jaime Lee.
“It’s a lot of cargo to handle by any measure,” Lee said. “We are grateful to the longshore workers, truckers, terminal operators, shipping line partners and all of the stakeholders that have made this achievement possible, particularly during the pandemic.”
The port of Los Angeles expects to have processed more than 10.8 million 20-foot equivalent units, or TEU’s, during the 2020-’21 fiscal year, which ends June 30. TEU’s are a standard maritime industry measurement used to count cargo containers of different lengths.
Approximately 40 percent of the cargo that passes through the port ends up in the Inland Empire.
