The Port of Long Beach saw a dip in cargo numbers in May, mirroring a drop at the neighboring Port of Los Angeles during the same period.

The month’s decline was attributed to shifting trade routes and canceled voyages, according to Long Beach port officials.

“I am confident we will see additional cargo as we work with industry partners to rebuild our market share in this increasingly competitive environment,” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said in a written comment. “Looking ahead, I anticipate a moderate increase in cargo as we move into summer and we recapture business by delivering the top-notch customer service that makes us the port of choice.”

Long Beach dockworkers and terminal operators moved 695,937 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, in May. That was down 8.2% from May 2023.

The decline came a month after the Port of Long Beach, as well as POLA, saw momentum in its April cargo data. POLB moved 750,424 TEU in April — a 14.4% increase from the same month last year.

At the Port of Los Angeles, last month’s numbers dropped by 3% from May 2023; POLA moved a cumulative 752,893 TEUs last month. In April, Port of L.A. cargo volume numbers showed a 12% increase over the same month last year, making it the ninth consecutive month of year-over-year growth at that port.

As for May, the Port of Long Beach’s imports slid 4.5% to 345,271, and exports dropped by 21.1% to 100,885 TEUs compared with May 2023.

But the outlook remains positive, according to comments by both port executives last week.

“Our longshore labor, facilities and industry partners are ready for cargo growth as we head into the shipping season for back-to-school and beyond,” said Long Beach harbor commission President Bobby Olvera Jr., adding that the port’s ability to move goods “reliably, quickly and sustainably” are intact.

“Over the long term,” he said, “the San Pedro Bay ports complex will continue to be a strategic and sustainable gateway for trans-Pacific Trade.”

Earlier last week, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka characterized cargo volume there, despite May’s slight drop, as being “strong and consistent.”

As with Long Beach, the forecast for the second half of the year at the Port of L.A., Seroka said, also “indicates more robust activity on our docks throughout the summer.”

The Port of L.A. saw a cumulative 752,893 TEUs handled in May. Overall cargo volume, Seroka said, remains 18% ahead of 2023 after five months.