Port of Oakland Sees Slight Drop in Import Volume

The US Port of Oakland has recorded a slight decline in imports of 0.2 percent in 2015, after the drop of nearly 40 percent in January and February.

The import recovery indicates that cargo diverted during a waterfront labor impasse last winter has returned, according to the port.

“This was no small achievement given the way the year started,” Port of Oakland Maritime Director John Driscoll said.

Oakland import volume plummeted in early 2015 during a West Coast contract dispute between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA).

Since then, Oakland import volume has increased in eight of the past ten months.

Overall cargo volume imports, exports and empty containers decreased 4.9 percent in 2015, the port said, attributing the decline to an 11.5 percent drop in containerized exports.