The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles saw port traffic dip in August. It’s the third month in a row the Los Angeles port has seen less business than last year, and the second month for Long Beach, according to figures released Wednesday.

Imports, the biggest chunk of business for the ports, fell 5.8 percent at the Los Angeles port and 14 percent at Long Beach, where port officials said imports are declining because importers and retailers are taking “a more cautious approach going into the holiday season.”

Traffic at both ports grew significantly over the first few months of this year but has slipped since, and August is usually one of the biggest months for imports as retailers begin stocking up for the holidays.

One bright spot in the August numbers were exports at the Los Angeles port, which have continued to grow, jumping 25 percent over last year. Exports in Long Beach were down 4 percent.