Cargo volumes at the San Pedro Bay port complex crested in June to be
among the busiest months in the past several years.
The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach in June combined to handle more than 1.78 million 20-foot-equivalent units, or TEUs, of cargo. It was the highest monthly total of the year so far and represented a significant increase from the nearly 1.6 million moved during the prior June.
In comparison to previous trends, it’s also a signal that peak season may be shifting as trade policies morph under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“These results demonstrate the continued confidence cargo owners and supply chain partners have in us, the resilience of the supply chain and the continued demand for goods moving through our gateway,” Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Noel Hacegaba said at his monthly media briefing. “Businesses across the shipping and logistics industry continue planning for a range of scenarios as they work to build more resilient and diversified supply chains.”
Cargo breakdown
At the Port of L.A., dockworkers handled more than 1 million TEUs of cargo, of which 530,558 were loaded imports (up by 13% from last year) while 126,365 were loaded exports (flat from a year ago). Meanwhile, their peers at the Port of Long Beach moved 779,331 TEUs, of which 387,025 were loaded imports (up 11%) and 86,464 were loaded exports (down 1.3%).
The remaining sum is composed of empty containers moving in either direction, though heavily represented by outgoing empties.
It was the third time in its history that the Port of L.A. surpassed 1 million TEUs, and it remains the only port in the Western Hemisphere to have even done so once. For the Port of Long Beach, it was its third busiest June on record.
“Crossing the 1 million container mark for the third time and closing our fiscal year with more than 10.4 million TEUs are remarkable accomplishments,” said Port of L.A. Executive Director Gene Seroka at his own media briefing. “These milestones reflect the consistency of the Port of Los Angeles and the people who make them possible every day.”
On the year, the ports have combined to process more than 9.52 million TEUs of cargo containers. While that is a 2.6% increase from the first half of last year (which saw more than 9.7 million containers moved), the ports would have to have commensurate increases for the remainder of the year to match last year’s total volume of 20.1 million TEUs.
Finding patterns to navigate
The story of Trump’s second administration with regard to the nation’s trade policy has largely been one of uncertainty thanks to his back-and-forth applications of tariffs and how they’ve been upheld.
Hacegaba observed that shippers were likely eying the expiration of Trump’s 10% emergency tariffs this week when they front-loaded much of what would have been traditional peak season cargo. The reason? Not knowing whether new – potentially higher – tariffs would follow.
“Businesses are preparing for volatility, not certainty,” Hacegaba said. “Retailers are intent on restocking shelves while keeping prices as low as possible, helping to drive the frontloading we’re seeing right now.”
The leaders have largely attributed the continued strength in import volumes to consumer spending resiliency in the United States. They combined last year to set an all-time cargo record for the San Pedro Bay and figure to have a top-four year at worst this year.
