Container cargo volume dipped in June at the Port of Long Beach, decreasing 4.4 percent compared to the same month last year.

A total of 583,621 TEUs were moved through the Port in June. Imports were recorded at 297,189 TEUs, a 6 percent decrease. Exports decreased 8.4 percent to 128,223 TEUs. Empty containers rose 2.4 percent with 158,209 TEUs. With imports exceeding exports, empty containers are sent back overseas to be refilled with consumer goods.

June 2014, the month against which June 2015 is being compared, was particularly busy, as shippers prepared for the expiration of the longshore labor contract.

Through the first six months of 2015, Long Beach cargo numbers are essentially flat compared to the same period last year, up 0.1 percent overall.

With an ongoing $4 billion program this decade to modernize its facilities, the Port of Long Beach continues to invest in long-term, environmentally sustainable growth.