Still slow at ports

April container traffic at the Port of L.A. fell 12.1 percent from a year earlier, while the Port of Long Beach saw a 21.7 percent decline. The numbers have been ugly all year (and for much of 2008), though the Business Journal notes that the number of container units moving through LB has increased from 318,042 in February to April's 408,705. Earlier this week, the L.A. County Economic Development Corp. released a report projecting a 13.5 percent drop for all of 2009 (and for what it's worth retail orders for the holiday shopping season are said to be soft). Traffic is expected to pick up in 2010, though to what degree will depend on the willingness of U.S. consumers to start spending again.