THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES SETS NEW CONTAINER VOLUME RECORD IN 2006

On Dock Rail Lifts Increase 32 Percent to 1.3 Million

SAN PEDRO, Calif. — January 30, 2007 — For the seventh year in a row, the Port of Los Angeles set a new container volume record as the nation’s largest container port. In 2006, the Port handled nearly 8.5 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), a 13.16 percent increase over 2005.

Monthly container volumes in 2006 reached the double digits over prior year volume for all but three months at the Port of Los Angeles. Strong labor resources and extended terminal operating hours meant zero ship congestion in 2006 and a robust increase in container volume.

Additionally, the Port of Los Angeles logged 1.3 million on-dock rail lifts in 2006, an increase of 32 percent over the previous year. The increase in rail lifts is a boon to the Port’s environmental efforts by decreasing the number of diesel truck trips required to move the container cargo to nearby rail yards.

“This is a great ending for a milestone year,” said Geraldine Knatz, Ph.D., executive director at the Port of Los Angeles. “We finalized a Clean Air Action Plan to reduce port-generated air pollution in the coming years, and our customers demonstrated their performance in moving a record-breaking volume of containerized cargo – more than 30 percent on rail, right from the dock.”

In 2006, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board and South Coast Air Quality Management District created the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). The CAAP outlines a comprehensive strategy for decreasing air emissions from port operations by nearly 50% over the next five years. The CAAP was adopted by the Board of Harbor Commissioners for both ports at a historic joint Board meeting in November 2006.

Celebrating its Centennial in 2007, the Port of Los Angeles is America's premier port. As the leading seaport in the nation in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 259,000 regional jobs and $8.4 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars. At the Port of Los Angeles, high priority is placed on responsible and sustainable growth initiatives, combined with high security, environmental stewardship and community outreach. For its industry leading environmental initiatives, the Port received two Environmental Protection Agency awards in 2006. The Port of Los Angeles – A Cleaner Port. A Brighter Future.