Port of Los Angeles Sets All-Time Container Record Despite Tariff and Fuel Pressures
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The Port of Los Angeles announced that September 2026 was the best month in its history, handling 1,042,652 TEUs, a new record for any port in the Western Hemisphere. The figure topped the previous mark, set in July 2025, by roughly 23,000 TEUs. Port Executive Director Gene Seroka attributed the surge to major retailers frontloading imports ahead of the threat of new tariffs.
Strong imports, weak exports
According to Portal Portuario, loaded import volume reached 545,696 TEUs in September, up 19% year-over-year, while exports totaled 125,751 TEUs, 10% above September 2025. Maritime Executive noted that import volume was 26% above the five-year average for the month and marked only the tenth time in the port's history that such a level had been reached. Empty containers totaled around 371,000 TEUs according to gCaptain and 371,206 TEUs according to Portal Portuario, the highest monthly figure ever recorded by the port, which Seroka pointed to as a bellwether for future demand for Asian goods.
Best quarter and year-to-date totals
September also capped the port's best quarter on record, with nearly 3 million TEUs moved between July and September, and the busiest four-month stretch ever recorded, with close to 4 million TEUs since June. Over the first nine months of 2026, the port handled approximately 8.1 million TEUs, more than 3% above the same period last year.
China trade and diversification
Seroka explained that China's share of the port's cargo has fallen from 60% to 40% of the total, in parallel with the ongoing shift of manufacturing diversification toward Southeast Asia, with Vietnam standing out as a prime example. Both he and Noel Hacegaba of the Port of Long Beach expect another wave of frontloaded imports before the U.S.-China trade truce expires on January 10. Harvard Business School professor Willy Shih noted that companies are moving away from optimizing purely for cost and are instead seeking more logistics options to hedge against tariffs.
Diesel costs and El Niño loom as next challenges
The port also faces a spike in fuel costs: diesel prices in California, the highest in the nation, have risen 62% since February 28 and are hitting small trucking operators hardest, who account for more than half of registered drayage truckers. Seroka warned that these higher transportation costs ultimately get passed on to consumer prices. Adding to the pressure is the expectation of a new El Niño episode, which could divert more cargo to Los Angeles due to draft restrictions at the Panama Canal, with an estimated increase of up to 5% in containers arriving at Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Recognition for port workers
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass highlighted that the port remains an extraordinary economic engine for the city and the country, and thanked Seroka's leadership along with the commitment of ILWU union workers in achieving this record-setting month.
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