Imports Up, Exports Down at Port of L.A.

The Port of Los Angeles, citing lingering effects of Asia’s economic crisis, reported Wednesday a slight drop in January exports but a rise in the amount of inbound cargo.

But port officials said that seven months into the fiscal year, the port is seeing an increase in business of nearly 15% when compared with fiscal 1998.

At the nation’s No. 2 port, 130,946 cargo units were imported in January, a jump of 12%. The number of outbound units, sent mostly to Asia and Hawaii, was 57,650, a 6% decrease from a year ago.

Al Fierstein, director of the port’s business development, cited the economic woes in Asia as the prime culprit for the decline in goods shipped overseas.