THE Port of Long Beach posted a 14.7 per cent year-on-year increase in September container volume to 587,100 TEU, giving it year-to-date rise to five million TEU, up 13.7 per cent.

Meanwhile the adjacent San Pedro Bay Port of Los Angeles suffered a 4.6 per cent year-on-year decline in September container volumes to 711,000 TEU, giving it a year-to-date decline of 5.5 per cent to 5.8 million TEU.

September imports increased 16.2 per cent to 307,981 TEU while exports rose 17.2 per cent to 134,676 TEU as empties increased 9.4 per cent to 144,457 TEU, reported American Shipper.

Long Beach said September ran second to August as the busiest month of the year, as LB volumes continued to creep up on Los Angeles for the title of top US container port with its eight million TEU in 2012.