The Port of Oakland continues to experience growth in container volumes.
“Overall, the Port’s loaded import cargo is trending towards its pre-pandemic level,” stated Bryan Brandes, Maritime Director at Port of Oakland.
He added, “This steady increase in import volume in 2024 is an encouraging trend. We are also seeing a rise in US agricultural exports through Oakland. Thanks to refrigerated warehousing on Port property near the maritime terminals and convenient truck and rail access, we are well-positioned to continue to grow ag export cargo volume through the Oakland Seaport.”
October marked the 12th consecutive month of increasing loaded import volumes, which saw an 11.2% rise year-over-year. Operators processed 81,498 TEUs of loaded imports, up from 73,281 TEUs in October 2023.
Loaded export volumes, however, experienced a slight dip, declining by 3.4% to 66,649 TEUs in October, compared to 68,974 TEUs in the same month last year. Despite this monthly decrease, loaded exports showed a 6.7% increase for the period from January to October 2024, compared to the same timeframe in 2023.
Over the past decade, Oakland’s exports have faced a gradual decline, primarily due to reduced demand for recycled paper exports. Agricultural exports, however, have offset some of these losses.
Empty exports surged significantly, growing by 30.6% to 29,750 TEUs in October 2024, compared to 22,775 TEUs in the previous year. Similarly, empty imports rose by 15.3%, with 15,682 TEUs handled in October 2024, up from 13,597 TEUs in October 2023.
