Port of Los Angeles, MSC, APM Terminals and ILWU Set New World Record for Most Cargo Moves During Single Ship Call

SAN PEDRO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--History was made this week when the Port of Los Angeles, MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, APM Terminals Los Angeles and International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Locals 13, 63 and 94 successfully moved 18,465 containers from the MSC Isabella during a single ship call at APM Terminals’ Pier 400. This new all-time world record — equal to 34,263 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) — is 1,385 containers more than the previously held record.

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One of the largest ships in the world, the MSC Isabella is part of a new class of 23,000+ TEUs sustainable container ships recently added to the MSC global shipping network. MSC Isabella’s arrival in Los Angeles marks its first time calling at a North American container port.

“This achievement continues to show that the Port of Los Angeles is big-ship steady and can adeptly handle these increasingly bigger cargo lifts,” said Gene Seroka, Executive Director at the Port of Los Angeles. “We applaud the outstanding work of our ILWU workforce, and the great people of APM Terminals and MSC who put their trust in the Port of Los Angeles to carry out this cargo move milestone.”

Approximately 400 meters long and 61 meters wide, the MSC Isabella can carry up to 23,656 TEUs. Named after the eldest daughter of MSC USA President & CEO Fabio Santucci, the large-class vessel arrived at APMT on Friday, June 12, and departed today. During the ship’s call, the ILWU operated nine ship-to-shore cranes to execute the record-setting feat.

The Port of Los Angeles remains open with all terminals operational during the COVID-19 pandemic. North America’s leading seaport by container volume and cargo value, the Port of Los Angeles facilitated $276 billion in trade during 2019. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs in the five-county Southern California region.