Photo courtesy Port of Long Beach
The Port of Long Beach achieved its busiest September on record last month, capping off its most active quarter on record driven by a surge in holiday-related goods.
The milestone comes as shippers rushed to move cargo ahead of labor contract deadlines on the East and Gulf coasts, resulting in a brief strike at the beginning of October.
The Port of Long Beach handled an impressive 829,499 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), surpassing the previous September record by a narrow margin of 70 TEUs. The volume marks the fourth consecutive month of year-over-year cargo increases for the port.
September’s cargo movement breakdown reveals a mixed picture: imports rose 2% to 416,999 TEUs, while exports declined 12.8% to 88,289 TEUs. Empty container movement saw a slight increase of 1.5%, reaching 324,211 TEUs. Notably, September marked the fourth consecutive month where loaded imports exceeded 400,000 TEUs.
“We have plenty of room across our terminals as the peak shipping season drives a record amount of cargo through this critical gateway for trans-Pacific trade,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “We are anticipating continued growth through the rest of the year as retailers stock the shelves for the winter holidays.”
The port’s recent performance is part of a broader trend of unprecedented growth in recent months. August saw the port set an all-time record for monthly cargo volume in its 113-year history, handling 913,873 TEUs – a staggering 33.9% increase from last year. July and June also set new monthly records, with July being the third-busiest month in the port’s history and June seeing a remarkable 53% jump in imports.
The four-month cargo surge came after a year-over-year decline in May, when shifting trade routes and canceled voyages reduced cargo volumes at the Port of Long Beach.
The port attributes its recent growth trajectory to retailers rushing to move goods in anticipation of potential tariff increases and ongoing labor negotiations at East and Gulf coast ports.
“Our ability to work with industry and workforce partners allows us to move large volumes of cargo reliably, quickly and sustainably. Additionally, we continue to deliver strong customer service to meet the needs of consumers and the national supply chain,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal.
The port’s performance in the first nine months of 2024 has been exceptional, moving 6,917,373 TEUs – an 18.8% increase from the same period last year. The third quarter of 2024 (July 1 to September 30) was the busiest in the port’s history, with 2,625,747 TEUs moved, breaking the previous record set in Q2 2022 by 78,628 TEUs.
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