Imports Down at U.S. West Coast Ports

Imports were down by as much as 13 percent through the first seven months of the year at the five top West Coast ports, compared with the same period last year, The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday.

The paper listed the ports as Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle and Tacoma, Washington.

The number of empty containers shipped back to Asia for refilling with imports was down by at least 22.1 percent at each of the major ports, said the paper.

At Long Beach, where imports fell 12.7 percent, some of the biggest declines can be found in materials used in home remodeling and new construction, port spokesman Art Wong was quoted as saying, citing a detailed statistical breakdown through June, compared with the same period last year.

Stone, plaster and cement imports were down 15.4 percent, Wong said. Wood imports were down 12.9 percent. Furniture and bedding imports were down 10.1 percent.

Big contractions also are being seen in consumer goods, which retailers are hustling to bring in now to fill shelves for the holidays, the report said.

Toys and sports equipment imports, usually among the top categories at the Port of Long Beach, were down 16.5 percent through June, Wong said. Another popular import, footwear, was down 5.2 percent.

While imports were down, exports jumped about 23 percent from January to July, compared with the same period of 2007 at the nation's two busiest container ports, Los Angeles and Long Beach, the report said.

Aided by the weak dollar, which makes U.S. goods cheaper for foreign buyers, outgoing traffic increased at each of the five big West Coast ports, according to the paper.

Source: CRIEnglish