The amount of goods handled at the Port of Long Beach in January is up a ton from last year, port officials said in a press release.

Port personnel moved 674,015 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) in January of this year, 17.5 percent more than in January 2023.

The majority of the increase was for imports, which were 23.5 percent higher with 325,339 TEUs, and the traffic of empty containers, which was 28 percent higher with 262,151 TEUs. Exports decreased 18.1 percent with 86,525 TEUs, the port reported.

The jump is due to retailers’ stocking up ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year, since Asian factories close for a couple of weeks.

“Retailers stocked their warehouses in January ahead of the slower import activity we typically see during Lunar New Year celebrations,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero in a press release.

“We are ready to grow our volumes and hope to see continued growth through 2024 as we gradually recapture market share.”

January 2024 is the fifth month with a year-over-year increase in goods handled at the port. The port had been experiencing a decline in cargo traffic for more than a year, port officials said.

“The waterfront workforce and terminal operators are energizing the economy by keeping the goods moving at the Port of Long Beach,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr. in the statement.

“We’re staying the course by attracting business, operating sustainably and developing projects that will ensure our long-term growth.”