LONG BEACH PORT REPORTS RECORD CONTAINER VOLUME AMID TRADE WAR IMPACT

Long Beach port set a new container volume record in April but faces a sharp decline in May due to the U.S.–China trade war.

 

 

Long Beach Port

 

The Port of Long Beach in California recorded its busiest April in history, handling 867,493 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), marking a 15.6% increase compared to the same period last year.

 

This April's throughput surpassed the previous record set in April 2022 with a 5.7% increase. Imports saw a significant surge, reaching 419,828 TEUs — up 15.1% year-over-year — while exports fell 4.5% to 93,842 TEUs.

 

Notably, empty container volume jumped by 23% to 353,824 TEUs, driven by a sharp drop in container demand from Chinese ports amid a de facto trade embargo between the U.S. and China. Shipping lines have canceled dozens of eastbound trans-Pacific sailings and rerouted vessels to higher-volume routes.

 

The strong April performance also marked the 11th consecutive month of cargo growth at the Port of Long Beach, reinforcing its role—alongside the Port of Los Angeles—as part of the San Pedro Bay complex, the busiest container gateway in the United States.

 

However, despite the impressive gains, the Port of Long Beach is preparing for a significant drop in volume this May. Port officials forecast a sharp decline in imports, largely due to the impact of tit-for-tat tariffs between the U.S. and China — a dispute that was only temporarily paused earlier this month.

 

Mario Cordero, Executive Director of the Port of Long Beach, stated in a press release:

"After becoming the busiest U.S. container port in the first quarter of 2025, we now expect imports to drop more than 10% in May — and the impact won’t be limited to the docks. Consumers could face product shortages and rising prices on store shelves, while the labor market may also feel the effects, especially as trade uncertainty continues."

 

Nevertheless, from January through April, the port handled a total of 3,403,069 TEUs, a 23.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This positive growth provides the port with some buffer to absorb the anticipated “volume gap” in May.

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