Big year for Port of L.A.

December finished off 2010 with an 8.8 percent increase in container traffic from a year earlier, with inbound and outbound cargo each having around a 5 percent bump from 2009. For the year, traffic rose 16 percent, helped along by a record number of exports. That's considerably stronger than earlier estimates and clearly points to a pickup in the recovery. In 2011, it'll be harder match the percentage gains of last year, in part because 2009 was so horrendous and year-to-year comparisons were easy to best. From the LAT:

"Los Angeles and Long Beach have gotten their mojo back. They've just had their biggest single-year increase in cargo in 25 years," said John Husing, an economist and expert on international trade's effect on Southern California. "At first, customers were desperate to replenish inventories and get products back on store shelves, but then it didn't stop." Other ports also did well this year, bouncing back from a dismal 2009. New York/New Jersey, ranked third in volume after L.A. and Long Beach, added 12.8% more cargo. Oakland, in fifth place, improved 15.3%. But none gained as much traffic as Los Angeles and Long Beach, which together handled 20.3% more cargo boxes than in 2009.

Here's the release. The Port of Long Beach is not yet out with its December numbers.