SAN PEDRO Bay ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach enjoyed their best Aprils in container volume history with LA's total rising to 946,767 TEU, up 32 per cent while rival LB was up 43 per cent year on year to 746,188 TEU.

"It's truly been an unprecedented run here in Los Angeles," said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka. "We have set records six of the last nine months, and the other three months were very close to new milestones."Said Long Beach port executive director Mario Cordero: "Online spending continues to soar, retailers prepare for a busy summer season and businesses continue to reopen following months of closures due to Covid-19."

LA's overall cargo volume in the first four months was up 42 per cent year on year to 3,539,397 TEU.

April's laden exports in LA declined 12 per cent to 114,449 TEU, marking the 27th decline in exports over the last 30 months. But empties were up 82 per cent due to the heavy demand in Asia. A total of 89 cargo vessels arrived in April, including two extra loaders.

"Fewer ships are going straight to anchor, and of those that do, the wait time is decreasing as our labour force and supply chain partners adeptly handle the steady stream of cargo," said Mr Seroka.

Meanwhile, the Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles' neighbour at the San Pedro Bay Port Complex and nation's number two port, also reported record volumes in April largely driven by robust online purchases.

Long Beach dockers moved 746,188 exceeding the 700,000 TEU mark in April, surpassing the previous record set in April 2019 by 118,066 TEU.

LB imports grew 44.8 per cent to 367,151 TEU, while exports climbed 21 per cent to 124,069 TEU. Empties were up 55.8 per cent to 254,970 TEU.

Long Beach lifted 3,122,315 TEU during the first four months of 2021, a 41.8 per cent increase from the same period in 2020.

"International trade will help jumpstart the economy, and the Port of Long Beach will lead the way by protecting the health of our dockworkers and providing top-notch customer service to keep cargo moving," said Mr Cordero.