Port of Los Angeles tops 1 million TEUs as imports surge

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The Port of Los Angeles handled more than 1 million container units in June, setting a record for the month as importers accelerated shipments amid shifting trade policy, higher fuel costs and continued supply chain uncertainty.

Dockworkers moved 1,002,734 twenty foot equivalent units during the month, an increase of 12% from June 2025. The result marked the busiest June in the port’s 118 year history and only the third time that its monthly throughput has exceeded 1 million TEUs.

The port said no other gateway in the Western Hemisphere has handled more than 1 million TEUs in a single month.

The latest figures underline the strength of cargo flows through the United States’ largest container port, even as businesses face uncertainty over tariffs, energy prices and global trading conditions.

Loaded imports reached 530,558 TEUs in June, up 13% from the same month last year. It was the port’s third highest monthly import total on record.

The import increase reflected continued efforts by retailers and manufacturers to bring goods into the United States when market and policy conditions appeared favorable.

Rather than following the traditional seasonal shipping calendar, companies have increasingly adjusted their cargo movements in response to short term changes in tariffs, costs and supply chain risks. The result is a less predictable flow of goods, with unusually strong volumes appearing outside the normal peak season.

Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said businesses were moving cargo whenever conditions allowed.

“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,” Seroka said.

“These milestones reflect the consistency of the Port of Los Angeles and the people who make them possible every day.”

The record volume was handled without vessel queues or significant cargo delays, according to the port.

Seroka credited dockworkers, terminal operators, truck drivers, rail companies and other supply chain participants for keeping cargo moving during the surge.

“We achieved these results without vessel backlogs or cargo delays,” he said.

“Thanks to the women and men of the ILWU, our terminal operators, truckers, rail partners and everyone across our supply chain whose professionalism and commitment continue to make Los Angeles the nation’s premier gateway.”

Handling more than 1 million TEUs in one month without congestion is an important operational test. A container port can be compared with a large traffic junction. Record traffic matters, but the more important measure is whether vessels, containers, trucks and trains continue moving without creating a queue.

The June performance suggests that terminals and inland transport providers were able to absorb the higher volume without the disruption seen during earlier periods of supply chain stress.

Loaded exports totaled 126,365 TEUs in June, broadly unchanged from the previous year.

The difference between import and export volumes remained substantial, reflecting the long standing imbalance in United States container trade. Far more loaded containers arrive through Los Angeles than leave with American exports.

Empty container movements increased 17% to 345,811 TEUs. These boxes were largely being repositioned to Asia, where carriers require equipment to support further shipments to North America.

The growth in empty containers indicates that shipping lines were preparing for continued demand on transpacific routes. Empty equipment availability remains essential for Asian exporters, particularly during periods when importers advance orders or adjust inventories at short notice.

During the first six months of 2026, the Port of Los Angeles handled 5,122,603 TEUs, up 3% from the same period in 2025.

The port also closed its fiscal year with more than 10.4 million TEUs, according to Seroka.

During the port’s monthly media briefing, Dartmouth College professor Douglas Irwin discussed the outlook for tariffs, international commerce and the broader forces influencing supply chain decisions.

Irwin is a specialist in international trade and United States trade policy. His participation reflected the growing importance of government policy in day to day shipping decisions.

Cargo owners are no longer responding only to consumer demand and inventory levels. They are also weighing tariff announcements, fuel prices, geopolitical developments and the risk that trade rules could change while goods are still in transit.

That environment has encouraged importers to act quickly when conditions appear favorable. June’s record volume shows how rapidly those decisions can translate into additional containers arriving at major gateways.