Import growth from Asia led to container handling expansion in all three of California’s major ports in March. Total handling at the Port of Los Angeles jumped 29%, outstripping Long Beach’s 9% after the latter experienced a 5% drop in exports. Oakland’s handling increased 11%, the fastest rate of growth since February 2013 excluding strikes and resulting in the best month of March since 2006. The pattern of import growth (25% across the three ports) being higher than exports (8% higher) was similar to that seen in Virginia and raises the risk of a higher trade deficit nationally.