Cargo volumes at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports soared in October ahead of the holiday shopping season, according to recently released data.
The Port of Long Beach posted its busiest month in port history, processing close to 1 million cargo containers in October, it announced Nov. 14.
Long Beach handled 987,191 TEUs in October, a 30.7% spike from October 2023, and marks five months of consecutive year-over-year cargo growth. Imports in October were up 34.2% year over year to 487,563 TEUs, while exports jumped 25.3% to 112,845 TEUs. Empties also rose 28.1% to 386,782 TEUs.
The port is attributing the record numbers to brisk holiday goods demand and delayed container vessel arrivals due to a nearby traffic incident and fire that impacted some terminal operations in late September.
“We appreciate the hard work of our waterfront workforce and terminal operators as they continue to move cargo at a record-setting pace by moving nearly 1 million TEUs without congestion or backlogs,” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said. “We anticipate a continued influx of cargo due to robust consumer demand, concerns about potential tariffs and ongoing labor negotiations at ports on the East and Gulf coasts.”
The Port of Los Angeles announced Nov. 20 that it moved 25% more cargo in October than it did a year ago, processing a record 905,026 TEUs.
October’s cargo record marked the first time the port surpassed 900,000 TEUs for four straight months.
“I’m grateful to our dockworkers, truckers, terminal operators and others who handle these record levels of cargo every day. They have done it with speed, efficiency and without a single ship backed up at sea,” POLA Executive Director Gene Seroka said.
LA’s loaded imports in October rose 24% year over year with 462,740 TEUs, while loaded exports showed a 1% uptick at 122,716 TEUs and empties soared 38% with 319,570 TEUs.
So far this year, Los Angeles moved 8,491,420 TEUs, about 19% more cargo than it did in the first 10 months of 2023, data show.
Seroka said these “robust, sustained volumes” are expected to continue in the coming months, citing “strong consumer spending, an early Lunar New Year (on Jan. 29), importer concerns about unresolved East Coast labor issues and the possibility of new tariffs next year that could drive up shipping costs.”
