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For Immediate Release
August 19, 2003
Oakland, Calif. (August 19, 2003) - The Port
of Oakland continues to build momentum from the completion of Vision
2000 by handling a record volume of containers in the first half
of 2003. The Port moved a total of 938,524 Twenty-Foot Equivalent
Units (TEUs) from January to June of 2003, posting an overall volume
increase of 15.6% compared with the same period in 2002. Imports
for the first six months totaled 290,331 TEUs, up 17.2%, and exports
increased 6.1% to 382,229 TEUs.
While exports have started to recover after
two consecutive years of decline, the Port has experienced double
digit increases on imports in 2002 and for the first half of 2003.
According to Jerry Bridges, Director of Maritime, "We are seeing
significant increases in our import volumes due to increased intermodal
shipments moving through the Oakland gateway and an increase in
new distribution centers that are opening up in Northern California.
Companies are expanding their distribution programs in the West
as they continue to source more products from Asian suppliers. Northern
California with its large population and well developed logistics
infrastructure is certainly benefiting from this growth as evidenced
by Home Depot's decision to open their newest Import Distribution
Center in Lathrop, CA and the recent opening of new distribution
centers by Trader Joes and Crown Bolt in Stockton, CA. We anticipate
that if this trend continues, Oakland should achieve a record year
for 2003."
The Port of Oakland is the fourth largest container
port in the country. Established in 1927 as an independent department
of the City of Oakland, the Port spans 19 miles of waterfront. Port
facilities include 11 major container terminals; the Metropolitan
Oakland International Airport, which covers an area of over 2,500
acres; more than 1,100 acres of commercial, industrial, recreational,
and other land; and about 16,000 surface acres of water area.
Contact:
Marilyn Sandifur
Manager, Media/Public Relations
(510) 627-1193
msandifur@portoakland.com |
