Oaklands Containerized Cargo Volumes Bouncing Back

zoom Containerized cargo volume was up for the second month at the Port of Oakland in April, the port said on Monday. The ports total volume – imports, exports and empty containers rose 1.7 percent last month from April 2014. That followed an 8.1 percent increase in March. According to the port, the numbers show continued improvement from declines of 30 percent and 31 percent in January and February. “We’re moving out of the slack winter season and working to gain momentum,” said Port Maritime Director John Driscoll. “We want to drive additional cargo through Oakland as the peak shipping season arrives.” Oakland import business continued to rebound in April. The port said the volume of loaded import containers it handled last month rose 3.1 percent over 2014. That followed a 39.4 percent increase in March. The port added that Oakland export cargo declined 12.9 percent in April. It attributed the slump to the continued strength of the U.S. dollar, which has made American goods costlier overseas and has contributed to a widening U.S. trade gap.