The Port of Los Angeles has released its March 2013 cargo volumes. After a 17 percent surge in February cargo volumes, March overall volumes decreased 22.6 percent compared to March 2012. The decrease was due in large part to the timing of the Chinese New Year, which slows production in Asian countries that export to the United States, as well as a vessel service that shifted out of the Port of Los Angeles.

Imports dropped 28.7 percent, from 324,758 Twenty-Foot Equivalent (TEU) containers in March 2012 to 231,396 TEUs this March. Exports decreased 17.9 percent, from 188,155 TEUs in March 2012 to 154,428 TEUs in March 2013.

Combined, total loaded imports and exports for March decreased 24.7 percent, from 512,913 TEUs last March to 385,824 TEUs in March 2013. Factoring in empties, which decreased 14.6 percent year over year, overall March 2013 volumes (503,168 TEUs) dropped 22.6 percent compared to March 2012 (650,452 TEUs).