Ports Update: POLA Maintains Growth, POLB Hits Record Q1 and Goods Movement Training Coming to Wilmington

March Volume Shows Sustained Growth at Port of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – April 11, 2025 – The Port of Los Angeles processed 778,406 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in March, 4.7% more than last year. The port ended the first quarter handling 2,504,049 TEUs, 5.2% ahead of last year’s strong pace.

“Our volume remained strong throughout the first quarter, and we’ve now seen year-over year growth in 18 of the last 20 months,” Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka said at a media briefing. “The start of the second quarter looks encouraging as importers begin to plan for spring and summer fashion, as well as back to school.

“However, with tariff and counter tariffs dominating the news, I expect we’ll see cargo decline in the second half of the year at least 10% compared to 2024,” Seroka added. “That’s because many importers have already brought their goods in early, and as prices begin to rise, consumers will think twice about many purchases.”

Joe Kramek, president and CEO of the World Shipping Council, joined Seroka at the media event. Kramek discussed the impact of proposed fees on container ships built in China, decarbonization of the supply chain and other trade topics.

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March 2025 loaded imports came in at 385,531 TEUs, 1.6% higher compared to the previous year. Loaded exports landed at 122,975 TEUs, a 15% drop from 2024. The Port processed 269,900 empty containers, 23% more than last year.

Port of Long Beach Busiest in U.S. through First Quarter

LONG BEACH — Coming off its best first quarter on record, the Port of Long Beach is the nation’s busiest port through the first three months of the year as imports surged ahead of anticipated tariffs.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 817,457 twenty-foot equivalent units last month, up 25% from March 2024. Imports grew 25.8% to 380,562 TEUs and exports decreased 1% to 104,063 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the port rose 35% to 332,832 TEUs. March also marked the port’s 10th consecutive monthly year-over-year cargo increase.

The port moved 2,535,575 TEUs during the first quarter of 2025, a 26.6% increase from the same period in 2024.

The port also saw its busiest first half of any fiscal year on record, with 5,267,926 TEUs moved since Oct. 1, making it the nation’s busiest port for the last six months.

In 2024, the Port of Long Beach was the nation’s second-busiest seaport with 9.6 million TEUs processed, and our San Pedro Bay neighbor, the Port of Los Angeles, was No. 1, with 10.3 million TEUs.

Ports to Develop Goods Movement Training Campus

The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are partnering to develop a goods movement training campus in Wilmington — a 20-acre facility that will prepare the current and future workforce in maritime and logistics industries, with a focus on zero-emission operations.

Located in the center of the San Pedro Bay port complex and expected to open by 2029, the campus will serve as a hub for recruiting, training, and retaining workers such as dockworkers, truck drivers, and warehouse employees. Trainees will receive hands-on instruction using cutting-edge equipment that supports air quality improvements and the transition to clean technologies.

On April 8 councilmember McOsker introduced a motion requesting the executive directors of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, along with ILWU Local 13 and PMA leadership, to report to the trade, travel, and tourism committee — on which he serves as Vice Chair — on the project’s status. This includes updates on planning, permitting, site preparation, and anticipated operations, to ensure the project remains on schedule so that council district 15 can invest in the workforce that keeps the ports and goods movement system — and the local economy—running strong.