Port of Oakland Sets Record

OAKLAND, CA — The Port of Oakland handled a record number of loaded shipping containers in 2016 despite operating with fewer marine terminals, according to port officials.

Last year, the port handled the equivalent of 1.83 million loaded 20-foot containers, up 7.6 percent from 2015, port officials said today.

The previous record was set in 2013, when the port moved 1.82 million containers.

The port uses shipping volume, in part, to determine what fees to charge marine terminal operators.

Also in 2016, export volume increased by 10.5 percent and import volume rose by 4.7 percent compared to 2015, according to port officials. Port officials said they are happy with the numbers because it means that business increased even after they reduced the number of terminals from five to four "to eliminate a capacity glut."

"This is a gratifying outcome," Port of Oakland maritime director John Driscoll said in a statement. "The job is now clear - build on the momentum we crated in 2016."

— Bay City News; Image By Ingrid Taylar, Flickr, via Wikimedia Commons