Monthly Throughput Down at 4 Key Ports in May

The port of Los Angeles reported a 16.31% decline in total TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units or 20 foot-long cargo container) year over year in May. (And an 8% increase month over month.)



The port of Long Beach reported a 20.7% decline in TEUs in May year over year. (And a 5.1% increase month over month.)



The port of Hong Kong reported a decline of 12.1% in TEUs in May year over year. (A 7% increase month over month to 1,792 million TEUs from 1.675 million in April.)



The port of Marseilles reported a decline in total throughput of 14% in May, year over year. (And a 3.3% increase month over month to 6,956 million metric tons from 6,733 million metric tons.)



The numbers are still sobering year over year--the month over month data may be encouraging, but appears to be due to some extent to cyclicality. Probably not a green shoot.