Loaded shipping container volume reached an all-time high at the Port of Oakland in 2016 as the Port recently reported that it handled the equivalent of 1.83 million loaded 20-foot containers last year. An increase of 7.6 percent from 2015, topping the previous record of 1.82 million 20-footers set in 2013.
The Port attributed the milestone to a year-long containerized export boom as well as growth in imports.
Loaded container volume is a key measure used to calculate fees paid by Oakland’s marine terminal tenants. Increased volume means the Portgained, instead of lost business in 2016 though it consolidated five terminals into four.
“This is a gratifying outcome,” said Portof Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll. “The job now is clear – build on the momentum we created in 2016.”
The Port of Oakland’s import volume increased 4.7 percent last year, with December imports increasing by 6.1 percent; exports accounted for 52 percent of Oakland’s loaded container volume in 2016. Imports accounted for the rest.