Port of Los Angeles posts busiest month in its history as imports climb
The Port of Los Angeles handled 1,042,652 twenty-foot equivalent units in September, the most in any month in the port's 118-year history.
That beat the previous monthly record, set in July 2025, by more than 20,000 TEUs, the port said in its Oct. 9 cargo announcement.
September also closed out the port's busiest quarter on record. Nearly 3 million TEUs crossed its docks from July through September, and nearly 4 million moved from June through September, the strongest four-month stretch the port has recorded.
Imports lead the way
Loaded imports reached 545,696 TEUs in September, up 19% from a year earlier. Loaded exports rose 10% to 125,751 TEUs.
Empty containers totaled about 371,206 TEUs, the highest monthly count in the port's history.
Through the first nine months of 2026, the port handled nearly 8.1 million TEUs, more than 3% ahead of the same period last year.
Why the surge
Port Executive Director Gene Seroka said importers are restocking and more cargo is being sent to Los Angeles as shippers deal with problems on other global trade routes.
At the port's monthly media briefing, Seroka said tariffs are lower than earlier in the year, which gives importers more certainty on costs. He also cited steady consumer spending and continuing challenges on the Suez and Panama Canal routes.
What it means on the road
More boxes at the docks mean more work for drayage carriers and for the trucks and trains that move freight inland from Southern California.
Drivers serving the San Pedro Bay terminals should also plan around the scheduled full closure of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which Caltrans says begins Nov. 7 and lasts about 16 months.