Import cargo volume continues to grow at Port of Oakland

Up 4% through November on marketing push, stronger consumer demand

Oakland, CA – Dec. 15, 2014 – Containerized import volume continues to grow at the Port of Oakland. Through 11 months of 2014, imports are up 4% from a year ago, according to statistics released today. They increased 2.97% in November, the third straight month of gains over last year.

“Our objective is to make imports a bigger percentage of the cargo mix in Oakland,” said Maritime Director John Driscoll. “We’re progressing and the challenge now is to step up the pace in 2015.”

The Port handled the equivalent of 771,454 20-foot import containers in the first 11 months of 2014. That was up from 741,662 containers during the same period in 2013.

The Port attributed the increase to aggressive marketing, greater consumer demand and cargo diversions from congested Southern California ports. Through the peak shipping season, which concluded in November, thousands of imports rerouted to Oakland.

Overall volume at the Port – imports and exports – is up 1.5% in 2014. Exports have declined 4%. The Port attributed the export drop to a strong dollar, which makes U.S. goods more expensive overseas. Exports have accounted for 54% of the Port’s cargo volume in 2014 bolstered by a strong agricultural market.

About the Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport and Oakland International Airport. The Port's jurisdiction includes 20 miles of waterfront from the Bay Bridge through Oakland International Airport. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. Together, through Port operations and those of its tenants and users, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland.
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Marilyn Sandifur
Port Spokesperson
Port of Oakland
(510) 627-1193
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