The two ports had a combined first quarter that saw them move nearly 4.8 million TEUs of cargo – a step down from last year’s record but still well ahead of prior years.

The trend punctuates what leaders had predicted this year – a “slump” that is only so because of how shippers scrambled last year to front-load imports to beat President Donald Trump’s tariffs on most of our trade partners.

“Even with the seasonal slowdown tied to Lunar New Year, cargo flow in March was solid and our first quarter performance was consistent with our five-year trend,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka at his monthly media briefing. “In today’s uncertain environment, consistency matters – and we’re staying ahead of things so our waterfront workers and partners can continue to deliver reliable, efficient operations for our customers.”

Capping the quarter

March saw generally strong cargo volumes for the twin ports, even with the outlier 2025 still topping them.

Dockworkers at the Port of Los Angeles handled 752,520 TEUs – 20-foot-equivalent units, the way cargo containers are generally measured because they vary in size – in March, down just 3% from last year. This included 380,733 loaded import TEUs, which fell 1%, and 132,129 loaded export TEUs, resulting in a 7% gain.

Meanwhile, dockworkers at the Port of Long Beach moved 774,935 TEUs in March, down 5.2%. This included 374,412 loaded imports, down 1.6%, and 104,554 loaded exports, rising 0.5%.

Empty containers moving in either direction comprised the remaining sum of TEUs.

Outlying year aside, these numbers reflect a continuing ascent of imports coming through the San Pedro Bay, which in recent history has been the entry point for about a third of the United States’ imports. Port leaders have long pointed to the resiliency of the American consumer amid economic uncertainty, trade wars and supply chain issues throughout the past decade. Sclerotic violence in Middle Eastern channels among Israel, Iran and factions in Lebanon and Iraq have strained fuel prices.

However, most imports are sourced from East Asian manufacturing hubs like China, South Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia, among others.

“Despite these global pressures, the conflict has not yet reduced cargo volumes at the Port of Long Beach,” Noel Hacegaba, the chief executive of the Port of Long Beach, said at his media briefing. “What we’re seeing instead is the impact of tariffs and timing and the comparison to a strong baseline the year before.”

However, he said this may not necessarily hold true as the conflict involving the Strait of Hormuz drags on.

“When ships are being rerouted to avoid conflict zones, it sets off a chain reaction,” Hacegaba said. “Cargo has to move differently. Routes get longer. Costs go up. And ultimately, consumers pay more.”

Long Beach up top

This past quarter saw the Port of Long Beach earn the title of the nation’s busiest container port for the first three months of the year.

Its total haul in January, February and March came out to about 2.39 million TEUs, down about 5.7% from the prior year. This period included its strongest February performance in its 115-year history.

The Port of L.A. wasn’t far behind, with 2.388 TEUs moved in the quarter – a number Seroka pointed out equaled its five-year first-quarter average. It posted a record February this year.

Looking into the next quarter, officials will watch to see whether the typical pattern holds true – a lull in April’s numbers, with imports picking up through the summer as retailers prepare for back-to-school season and, later, the winter holiday shopping season.

Trump’s trade war decisions also loom on the horizon. After his primary wave of tariffs were nullified by the Supreme Court this year, the administration put in place a lesser and temporary wave of import taxes while vowing to find ways of enacting his intended policies. Once those temporary tariffs expire, they would require congressional approval
to continue.