The busiest container complex in the U.S. continues to churn through near-record import volumes, as businesses bring goods in ahead of potential tariff increases, and seek to avoid hurricane and labor disruptions at alternate ports.
“The Port of Los Angeles recorded its best September ever, effectively handling 955,000 container units,” executive director Gene Seroka told reporters October 18. “Even more impressive, the third quarter marked our single highest quarterly performance in our 116-year history.”
The LA and Long Beach ports, which together account for roughly a third of all U.S. container imports, each had their busiest ever peak season. Cargo volumes flowing into and out of Southern California beat the record set in the second quarter of 2021, when demand for consumer goods, and supply chain snarls, caused a massive backlog of ships offshore and a pileup of containers on the docks.
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In contrast, a record number of ships that called at the San Pedro Bay were loaded and unloaded without delays, Seroka said, as cargo handlers processed more than 2.8 million boxes in July, August, and September. The Port of Long Beach next door also had its busiest quarter overall, moving 2.6 million twenty-foot container equivalent units.
“We have plenty of room across our terminals as the peak shipping season drives a record amount of cargo through this critical gateway for trans-Pacific trade,” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said in a statement. “We are anticipating continued growth through the rest of the year as retailers stock the shelves for the winter holidays.”
