The twin ports each boasted its second busiest July on record and combined to have the most prolific month of the year in terms of cargo movement.
The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach combined to process nearly 1.89 million TEUs of cargo containers in July, signifying the likely peak of the year as retailers stock up for the fall and winter. Not only was it the second busiest July for each – dwarfed only by last year’s numbers – but the combined total represents the third busiest month ever for the twin ports.
For now, leaders cite consumer demand as the offsetting factor to any trade uncertainty and ongoing tariffs imposed on certain trading partners. What has traditionally been peak shipping season – when manufacturers get back-to-school goods and winter holiday merchandise to retailers – has moved to earlier in the summer, likely an adjustment to President Donald Trump’s trade policies.
“Businesses continue to move cargo when they see windows of opportunity amid an evolving trade environment, while resilient consumer demand is helping keep imports at historically strong levels,” Port of L.A. Executive Director Gene Seroka said at his monthly media briefing. “We expect another strong month in August, although some cargo that traditionally arrives later in the season has already moved.”
Breakdown
Stevedores at the Port of L.A. handled 499,552 TEUs – 20-foot-equivalent units, the general if imprecise measurement of shipped cargo – of loaded imports in July, representing a decrease from last year’s record month but also a 7.5% increase over the port’s five-year July average.
Those at the Port of Long Beach handled 467,461 TEUs of loaded imports, virtually equal to last year’s numbers. It also represents the port’s high for the year.
On the loaded exports side, L.A. saw 111,776 TEUs hoisted onto ships in July (a decrease of 8%) while Long Beach had 104,843 TEUs (up 14.8%).
The remaining sum is composed of empty containers being moved in either direction.
Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Noel Hacegaba, noting that this was the seventh time the port had achieved cargo volumes north of 900,000 TEUs, pointed to the July 24 expiration of the federal government’s temporary tariff program as a factor in the surge. Shippers have typically assumed the worst during this administration when it comes time to renew expiring tariffs, prompting surges to get ahead of any price increases that would ultimately pass along to consumers.
“This capped an early peak season as companies continued to navigate tariff uncertainty, higher fuel costs and other global issues,” Hacegaba told reporters in August.
“Businesses can’t control trade policy, geopolitical events or energy markets,” he added. “What they can control is how quickly they respond.”
Dwell times increase
The busyness of July was reflected – albeit only mildly – in the July cargo dwell times, the period between when cargo is offloaded from ships and loaded onto either drayage trucks or rail cars.
The average truck dwell time was 3.03 days, just hours higher than both last July and this June. Rail dwell times were 6.34 days on average, about a day longer than last July and June this year.
Both numbers were highs for the year, although not by wide margins.
“While we saw a modest increase in dwell times in July, cargo continues to move through the San Pedro Bay ports at manageable levels,” said Natasha Villa, senior manager of public affairs for the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, in a statement. “The ability of marine terminals, dockworkers, drayage providers, rail partners, and other supply chain stakeholders to adapt to changing cargo patterns and maintain fluid operations demonstrate the strength and resilience of our supply chain.”
