For the second consecutive year, the Port of Long Beach has declared victory over the neighboring Port of Los Angeles as the nation's busiest.

The Long Beach port imported or exported 2.8 million 20-foot containers last year, an increase of more than 10% over its 1994 totals. At the Port of Los Angeles, the number of containers increased just 1.5%, to 2.5 million.

Officials at the Long Beach port predict an even wider lead this year, with more than $1 billion earmarked to expand the port. With new rail links and more shipping terminals, that could add thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to the region's economy.