LONG BEACH : Long Beach Port Now Busiest in the Nation

The Port of Long Beach has become the busiest port in the nation, surpassing the neighboring Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach officials said.

The Long Beach facility recorded a 25% increase in cargo ships in 1994. About 2.5 million containers passed through the Long Beach harbor, surpassing the Los Angeles port by about 56,000. The Los Angeles port had led the nation for several years in container volume.

The surge in new business at the Long Beach port comes mostly from Pacific Rim carriers, especially from China and Southeast Asia, said port spokeswoman Yvonne Avila. “Those economies are just exploding right now, and we are reaping the benefits,” she said.

Since almost half the cargo coming to the West Coast is destined for other parts of the nation, Avila said, many of the foreign shippers choose Long Beach because its dockside rail service speeds delivery of goods. The Los Angeles port does not have rail facilities, she said, which means importers must use trucks to transport goods.

The Port of Los Angeles remains the top revenue-generating harbor in the country. Revenues totaled $190.8 million in 1994, compared with $134.6 million for the Port of Long Beach.

The Los Angeles facility makes money from several other sources besides cargo transportation, including marina space rentals and income from cruise lines based in the harbor.