The Port of Los Angeles processed 890,861 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in April, 5.7% better than the same month a year ago, and the second-best April on record.
LA, with the Port of Long Beach half of the San Pedro Bay maritime gateway, saw consumer demand boost strong imports despite ongoing uncertainty around tariffs and trade policy.
The port handled 3,279,704 TEUs through the first four months of this year, 2% ahead of its five-year average for that stretch and 2% below the 2025 record pace when front-loading was spurred by President Donald Trump’s chaotic tariff policies.
“April was our strongest month this year and the highest cargo volume we’ve seen since last August, a clear sign that the American consumer remains resilient,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said Monday in a media briefing. “Retailers and manufacturers are continuing to move goods despite uncertainty, and based on what we’re seeing in Asia, the next wave of imports – from back-to-school to early holiday merchandise – is already beginning to build.”
That resilience is likely to be tested by soaring gas prices. Seroka said trucking companies, like airlines, could begin to pass on the added cost of diesel fuel, which has increased 50% from the beginning of the year.
Cargo continues to move with no back-ups or delays, said Seroka, who recently visited Asia. “Factories are running at full capacity.”
April loaded imports totaled 459,825 TEUs, ahead by 5% y/y and up 21% from March. Loaded exports dipped 0.5% to 127,726 TEUs.
Empties surged 10% to 303,310 TEUs, said Seroka, as liners reposition assets to handle peak season eastbound goods on the trans-Pacific.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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