The Port of Long Beach had a record-breaking year in 2017. With nearly record-breaking numbers each month, the port closed the year with an 11% increase in cargo volumes last year, resulting in the busiest year in port history. In total, the port moved 7.54 million twenty-foot equivalent units of cargo. We sat down with Lee Peterson of the Port of Long Beach to talk about the increase in cargo volumes, what drove the activity and what we can expect for 2018.

GlobeSt.com: What do you think drove the unprecedented activity last year?

Lee Peterson: Trade between the U.S. and other countries was on the upswing last year, resulting in gains for many North American seaports. Given changes in the structure of ocean carrier alliances as well as the increasing size of cargo ships, the Port of Long Beach Trade was well-positioned to receive a great deal of that increasing trade. We are well-positioned because of improvements to our facilities and the experience of our terminal operators and other partners such as trucking firms and railroads, in dealing with the new landscape of international shipping.