CONTAINER volumes at the Port of Long Beach declined two per cent to 789,716 TEU in October as capacity limits hampered cargo flow, reported London's Container Management.

Imports decreased four per cent to 385,000 TEU, with empties also down two per cent to 282,502 TEU while exports increased almost seven per cent to 122,214 TEU.

"Every sector of the supply chain has reached capacity and it is time for all of us to step up and get these goods delivered," said Port of Long Beach executive director Mario Cordero.

"In Long Beach, we are trying to add capacity by searching for vacant land to store containers, expanding the hours of operation at terminals, and implementing a fee that will incentivize ocean carriers to pull their containers out of the port as soon as possible," he said.

Both San Pedro Bay ports. Long Beach and Los Angeles, has enacted a Congestion Dwell fee to speed the flow.