Abstract

Strong import demand continued to drive cargo activity at the San Pedro Bay Ports in June, with combined loaded imports reaching 917,583 TEUs, up 12.0% year-over-year, while first-half imports climbed to 5.0 million TEUs, a 3.9% annual increase.

Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach

PORT OF LOS ANGELES

• Driven by strong import demand, the Port of Los Angeles posted another strong month in June, processing 1.0M Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), up 12.4% year-over-year (YOY). For the first half of the year, the Port has handled 5.1M TEUs, up 3.4% YOY.

• As retailers continue to pull forward shipments ahead of potential tariff and fuel-cost increases, June’s loaded imports climbed to 530,558 TEUs, up 18.1% from May and 12.8% YOY. For the first half of 2026, import volume totaled 2.7M TEUs, 5.0% higher than the same period a year ago.

PORT OF LONG BEACH

• Trade moving through the Port of Long Beach saw double-digit growth in June after a 31.7% YOY increase in May, running just ahead of last year’s record-setting pace halfway into 2026. The Port processed 779,331 TEUs in June, up 10.6% YOY, marking the Port’s third-busiest June on record.

• With the automatic repeal of temporary 10% tariffs scheduled for July 24, shippers are moving cargo ahead of further trade policy changes, triggering an early peak season and a summertime surge in trade. Import volume increased 11.0% YOY to 387,025 TEUs. At the mid-year point, import total of 2.3M TEUs is up 2.6% YOY.

The San Pedro Bay Ports saw another strong import activity in June, with the Ports handling a combined 917,583 of loaded import TEUs, up 5.7% over May and 12.0% YOY. Retailers are intent on restocking shelves while keeping prices as low as possible, helping to drive the frontloading both Ports are seeing in the last two months. In the first half of the year, combined imports reached 5.0M TEUs, up 3.9% YOY.

According to the Global Port Tracker from the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, U.S.-bound import volumes to decline from July through September before returning to flat growth in October. Forecasts call for annual declines in July (-8.4%), August (-8.6%) and September (-2.2%). Retailers are accelerating peak-season imports to mitigate rising shipping costs and tariff uncertainty, although inflation and weakening consumer confidence are expected to weigh on import demand later this year. Businesses across the shipping and logistics industry also continue to plan for a range of scenarios as they work to build more resilient and diversified supply chains.

Provided statistical breakdowns include monthly and annual container counts measured in Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), a standardized maritime industry measurement used when counting cargo containers of varying lengths. Source: The Port of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

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