July was the busiest month of the year so far at both the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach as retailers stocked up early for the holiday shopping season, according to figures released by the ports.

The Port of Los Angeles handled 730,745 container units – a 26.8 percent increase over last July – while 587,880 units passed through the Port of Long Beach, representing a 35.8 percent increase over volume at the same time last year.

For Long Beach it was the eight straight month of increases, while Los Angeles has gone up steadily for the past six months. July was the strongest month for the ports in nearly two years.

“We’ve had a very strong June and July,” said Philip Sanfield, a Los Angeles port spokesman. “There is some thought that retailers may be bringing their goods in early for the holiday season.”

Two months ago, the Port of Los Angeles surprised the industry by recording its busiest June in history, handling more than 730,000 units.

Normally, the ports’ peak season is August through October, but there is indication that retailers are stocking depleted inventories early over fears of limited shipping capacity. The recession has prompted maritime carriers to reduce trips and retire ships over the last several years.

The National Retail Federation went so far as to project July to be the top month for container traffic, though sales expectations remain modest.

“The fourth quarter – October, November and December – is the question on everybody’s minds,” Sanfield said, “because the U.S. economy is still fragile and there are reports of China’s economy slowing down.”