74.2 F
Los Angeles
Monday, Jul 14, 2025

Ports Report Strong April Numbers

Though the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach posted strong Aprils in terms of cargo movement, officials at both said they expect the gravy train is now over.

Though the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach posted strong Aprils in terms of cargo movement, officials at both said they expect the gravy train is now over.

May, they said, is forecasted to record double-digit percent drops, with imports likely accounting for the majority of that decline. This disruption is mainly the consequence of the Trump Administration’s whiplash trade policies with China and other East Asian manufacturing hubs – the most recent update of which had President Donald Trump temporarily pause his new taxes on China.

“Moving forward – at least for the short term – we will see a softening of global trade during this period of elevated tariffs and uncertainty,” Port of L.A. Executive Director Gene Seroka said during his monthly cargo briefing.

All told, the two ports combined to move more than 1.7 million containers in April, the second most for the year and representing a growth of nearly 190,000 containers from April 2024. For Long Beach, it was the port’s strongest April on record in terms of container volume.

“Even as the biggest tariffs were paused, we still should brace for the effects of tariffs following 11 straight months of cargo growth,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal said in a statement.

Imports high, expected to taper off

Dockworkers in April handled 439,230 loaded import containers at the Port of L.A. and 419,828 at the Port of Long Beach – each well in excess of the prior April’s numbers. L.A. and Long Beach have had consistent year-over-year growth for 10 and 11 months, respectively.

“A strong economy and high consumer confidence propelled that growth early on,” Seroka said, “while more recently it’s been the push by importers to bring cargo in ahead of today’s tariffs.”

That’s now expected to end, with Seroka at L.A. reporting last week that 17 of the port’s 80 scheduled May ship arrivals cancelling. Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Mario Cordero projected similar activity.

“After moving the most containerized cargo of any American port in the first quarter of 2025, we are now anticipating a more-than-10% drop-off in imports in May – and the effects will be felt beyond the docks,” Cordero said. “Soon, consumers could find fewer choices and higher prices on store shelves and the job market could see impacts, given the continuing uncertainty.”

Export numbers continued their declines, with 128,394 containers going through L.A. and 93,842 through Long Beach.

In a telling sign, officials for both ports drew attention to one congruent silver lining: having the bandwidth to pour time and money into infrastructure.

“As we monitor these dynamic changes in trade, the Port of Long Beach will continue to invest in rail and terminal improvements that will allow us to move cargo efficiently, safely and sustainably,” Lowenthal said.

Dwell times steady

In comparison to last April, container dwell times – how long a container waits after being unloaded from a ship until it is loaded onto a truck or train to leave the ports complex – were essentially unchanged.

Truck-bound cargo waited about 2.8 days before being loaded, while rail-bound cargo waited about 4.7 days – each only hours off from April 2024. While truck-bound cargo has remained fairly steady for the past year, rail-bound dwell times have significantly fluctuated, peaking at nearly 10 days in October.

“During these times of volatility and volume swings, the efficient movement of cargo from the ports remains essential for both Ports’ operations and for the businesses and consumers who rely on timely deliveries,” Natasha Villa, external affairs manager of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, said in a statement. “We’re encouraged by the recent improvement in rail dwell times and pleased to see truck dwell times remain consistently low.”

Hannah Welk
Hannah Welk
Hannah (Madans) Welk is the editor-in-chief at the Los Angeles Business Journal and Inside The Valley (formerly the San Fernando Valley Business Journal). She previously covered real estate for the Los Angeles Business Journal. She has done work with publications including The Orange County Register, The Real Deal and doityourself.com.

Featured Articles

Related Articles

Zane Hill Author