Port of Long Beach Shatters All-Time Cargo Record

The Port of Long Beach handled nearly 1 million twenty-foot containers in October, setting new record as the port’s busiest month in its 113-year history.

Fueled by soaring demand for holiday merchandise and delays from a nearby traffic incident and fire that disrupted some terminal operations in late September, the port moved an impressive 987,191 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in October, marking a substantial 30.7% increase compared to the same period last year.

This surge not only broke the port’s previous record set in August 2024 but surpassed it by an impressive 8%.

“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,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero.

Cordero also highlighted the factors driving this growth, including “robust consumer demand, concerns about potential tariffs and ongoing labor negotiations at ports on the East and Gulf coasts.”

The record-breaking month saw significant increases across all cargo categories. Imports surged by 34.2% to 487,563 TEUs, while exports rose by 25.3% to 112,845 TEUs. Even empty container movement saw a substantial uptick, growing by 28.1% to 386,782 TEUs.

October marked the port’s fifth consecutive month of year-over-year cargo increases. The first ten months of 2024 have seen the port move a total of 7,904,564 TEUs, representing a 20.2% increase from the same period in 2023.

The record-breaking performance in October was partly driven by a combination of factors, including brisk demand for holiday goods and delayed containership arrivals attributed to a nearby traffic incident and fire that affected some terminal operations at the end of September.

“Our string of recent records demonstrates the strength of our customer service and ongoing collaboration with labor and industry stakeholders,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal. Lowenthal also highlighted the port’s focus on the upcoming holiday season, adding, “Our top priority is to quickly move goods from the docks to doorsteps and store shelves as we head into the busy holiday shopping season.”

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