The Port of Long Beach said that both import and export container traffic rose in June compared to the same period a year ago, with imports up 3.5 percent and exports up 5.6 percent.

Last month, port terminals moved 280,526 20-foot equivalent container units of loaded inbound cargo compared to 271,113 TEUs in June 2011. Export containers accounted for 133,649 TEUs compared to 126,588 TEUs in June 2011.

Overall, the port moved 555,359 TEUs, up 0.2 percent from last year. The gains in imports and exports were offset by a drop in empty container moves being sent overseas to be refilled with goods. The port moved 141,184 TEUs of empty containers in June, more than any other month this year, but a drop of 9.8 percent from a year ago.

According to the port, June was the busiest month year-to-date for calendar year 2012. Through the first half of the year, overall container traffic at the port is down 5 percent, due partly to the elimination of several niche service strings that had called at the port last year.