In September 2026, the Port of Los Angeles completed a container throughput of 1.04 million TEUs, setting a new historical record and also the monthly container volume record for ports in the Western Hemisphere. this yearIn the first 9 months, the Port of Los Angeles has completed a total of 8.1 million TEUs.
Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, stated that September is a microcosm of the port's recent strong throughput performance. Currently, consumer demand remains resilient, and importers are working hard to replenish inventory. Against the backdrop of ongoing challenges on other global trade routes, shippers are allocating more goods to the Port of Los Angeles. The third quarter of 2026 was the best performing quarter in the history of the Port of Los Angeles, with a single season throughput of nearly 3 million TEUs. If June is included, the port's throughput approached 4 million TEUs within four months.
This impressive achievement is mainly driven by the volume of imported containers. In September, the port of Los Angeles imported 546000 TEUs of containers, a year-on-year increase of 19%, which is 26% higher than the average level of the past five years. However, the export performance remains relatively weak.
Gene Seroka said that the shipper wanted to catchDuring the window period of lower tariffs, large-scale concentrated shipments have been made in recent months. In addition, the US China trade agreement was originally scheduled to expire in the fall of this year (now postponed), which caused concerns in the market and accelerated the pace of shipments. Meanwhile, the US economy is still growing and consumer purchasing power remains strong.
In addition, a series of global challenges such as the situation in the Middle East and the restricted navigation of the Panama Canal due to drought objectively benefit ports in the western United States. Due to the obstruction of other channels in the global supply chain, shippers are diverting more goods to the Port of Los Angeles.
