Port of Long Beach Sees Strongest September on Record

LONG BEACH — Demand for holiday-related goods nudged the Port of Long Beach to its most active September and busiest quarter on record as shippers continued to move goods ahead of a labor contract deadline for seaports on the East and Gulf coasts that resulted in a three-day strike at the start of October.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 829,499 twenty-foot equivalent units last month, up just 70 TEUs from the previous record set in September 2023. September also marked the port’s fourth consecutive monthly year-over-year cargo increase. Imports increased 2% to 416,999 TEUs, exports declined 12.8% to 88,289 TEUs and empty containers moving through the Port rose 1.5% to 324,211 TEUs.

The Port has moved 6,917,373 TEUs during the first nine months of 2024, up 18.8% from the same period last year. It was also the Port’s busiest quarter overall with 2,625,747 TEUs moved between July 1 and Sept. 30, breaking the previous record set during the second quarter of 2022 by 78,628 TEUs.