The Port of Los Angeles has released its March 2014 containerized cargo volumes. In March 2014, overall volumes increased 34 percent compared to March 2013. In part, this increase may reflect the timing of multi-week Chinese New Year factory closures, which occurred in Asia on January 31. (Chinese New Year varies from year to year; last year it fell on February 10, 2013. Next year it will fall on February 18, 2015.)

Container imports surged 42 percent, from 231,397 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in March 2013 to 327,497 TEUs in March 2014. Exports rose 21 percent, from 154,428 TEUs in March 2013 to 187,826 TEUs in March 2014.

Combined, total loaded imports and exports increased 34 percent, from 385,825 TEUs in March 2013 to 515,323 TEUs in March 2014. Factoring in empties, which increased 36 percent year over year, overall March 2014 volumes (675,274 TEUs) jumped 34 percent compared to March 2013 (503,168 TEUs).