The Port of Los Angeles moved 883,053 TEUs in September 2025, down 7.5% year-on-year, but still achieved its strongest quarter on record.
“As trade policy unfolds, we can only predict more unpredictability,” said Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. “When tariffs were first announced, importers halted orders from China. As deadlines were extended, cargo volumes rose again. The supply chain has been on a roller coaster all year.”
Seroka noted that about 20% of vessels calling at the Port are China-made, as are some cranes and cargo-handling equipment. “Tariffs in one area tend to raise prices in others, making goods more expensive overall,” he added.
During the monthly briefing, Richard DiNucci, Senior International Trade Advisor and former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Operations Director, discussed how the federal government shutdown has disrupted global trade.
In September, loaded imports reached 460,044 TEUs (down 7.6% year-on-year), while exports totaled 114,693 TEUs, similar to 2024 levels. The Port handled 308,317 empty containers, a 10% decline from last year.
For the third quarter, total volume hit 2.9 million TEUs, the best in the Port’s history. From January through September 2025, throughput rose 3% year-on-year to 7,817,057 TEUs.
