The Port of Los Angeles reported its busiest month on record with container volume increasing 8.5% to 1,019,837 20-foot-equivalent units from 939,600 last year. Year-to-date, the port has handled 5,975,649 containers, a 5% increase compared with the same period in 2024.
“Shippers have been frontloading their cargo for months to get ahead of tariffs and recent activity at America’s top port really tells that story,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Port terminals in July were jam-packed with ships loaded with cargo, processed without any delay — much to the credit of our dedicated longshore workers, terminal and rail operators, truckers and supply chain partners.”
The Port of Long Beach experienced its busiest July on record and the third busiest month in its history. The port reported that volume increased 7% to 944,232 units from 882,376 during the same time last year. Imports rose 7.6%, while exports declined 12.9%. From January through July, the port moved 5,690,863 TEUs, a 10% increase year-over-year.
“Retailers are now seeing the arrival of goods that were purchased for lower costs during the temporary pause placed on tariffs and retaliatory tariffs earlier this year,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “Due to the ongoing uncertainty caused by shifting trade policies, our Supply Chain Information Highway digital tracking tool forecasts that cargo will be down about 10% in the second half of 2025, resulting in a flat year for volume.”
The Port of Oakland reported that volume increased 10.1% to 203,145 containers from 184,467. The port also recorded its highest monthly import total so far in 2025, while full exports grew 10.1%.
“The pending tariffs created a clear incentive for importers to push cargo through in advance, giving us a strong month across the board,” said Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes. “As that front-loaded cargo works its way through the supply chain, we anticipate a more moderate pace in the months ahead.”
Port Houston also saw standout growth, with volume increasing 20.7% to 392,829 containers from 325,357. Sequentially, that marked an 18.4% increase from the 331,864 units reported in June. Year-to-date, the port has moved 2,562,506 containers, up 5.7% from 2,423,474 last year.
“The investments SC Ports makes today, with backing from our state leaders, keep our port system ready to meet projected demand,” said SC Ports President Barbara Melvin. “The continued growth of our inland rail facilities, and our commitment to enhancing efficiency for our customers, necessitated this critical infrastructure expansion, and will keep SC Ports competitive as a top 10 U.S. container port for decades to come.”
Outlook
The July figures highlight the strong performance of U.S. ports as importers worked to get cargo into the country ahead of tariffs. But with much of that cargo frontloaded, officials expect volumes to moderate later this year as trade policy uncertainty continues.
References
https://www.ttnews.com/articles/us-ports-july-2025
https://www.portoflosangeles.org/references/2025-news-releases/news_081325_july_cargo
https://www.portofoakland.com/port-of-oakland-container-volume-surges-in-july
https://www.nwseaportalliance.com/newsroom/nwsa-ytd-teu-volumes-35
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