Commentary From a America’s Most Significant Port

“Obviously, port data is a great way to get a read on global trade, and because of its natural connection to China, the Port of LA is always watched closely.

Citi’s Christian Wetherbee recently held a conference call with Port of LA Business Development Manager Chris Chase on what the port was seeing trade and economy-wise.

Here are a few bullet points:

• For the year, total growth is still expected to be 3%.
• May has been solid, but June and July have already looked to be negative.
• On the other hand, a rebound is anticipated in August.
• Higher fuel prices are causing shippers to get nervous.
• Vessel utilization rates continue to be below target estimates, in part due to disruptions from the Chinese new year.
• Furniture imports have been strong
• The impact from Japan has been pretty minimal.

Here’s a look at the top US exports out of the port:”

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