Southern California Ports' Traffic to Grow, Report Says

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nternational trade through the Los Angeles region will grow by more than 14% this year to a record $302.1 billion, according to an economic study released Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

And the report said there is concern that freight congestion could flare up again in 2005 as it did last year, as more container ships enter service, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.'s report said the number of 20-foot cargo containers moving through the region could increase 10%, to 14.4 million, AP reported.

The region includes the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports — the nation’s two largest — and two airports. It is the largest region in the nation in trade value and containers handled, the report said.

During the first quarter of 2005, the two ports handled a record 3.14 million containers, more than 74% higher than 1999 levels and 10% more than last year, which saw congestion from rail lines leading out of the ports.

The railroads that serve the ports, mainly BNSF Railway and Union Pacific, have expansion programs adding track as well as hundreds of engineers and locomotives, the Times reported.

BNSF has sharply reduced the of time customers can leave cargo containers in rail yards, the Times said. It has also extended the average length of its trains to 8,000 feet from 7,000 feet to carry more cargo and help reduce truck traffic on freeways.