The San Pedro Bay ports, including the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB), have witnessed a surge in container volumes. In November, POLA reported a 19% year-over-year increase, handling 763,262 TEUs, while POLB saw a 24.2% growth, managing 731,033 TEUs. Mario Cordero, CEO of POLB, attributed this rise to the growing online shopping trend and retailers stocking up for the holiday season. In terms of specifics, POLA’s loaded imports and exports grew by 25% and 24% respectively, whereas POLB saw a 37% increase in imports but a 13% decline in exports. Both ports noted increases in the movement of empty containers. Despite these monthly increases, the cumulative figures for 2023 show a 14% decrease in container handling for both ports compared to the same period in the previous year.