September Cargo Volume Boosts Port of Los Angeles to Record Quarter

A shipping container from the Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation docking at the Port of Los Angeles. File photo

LOS ANGELES — The Port of Los Angeles processed 883,053 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in September. While cargo eased 7.5% compared to last year, it helped propel the Port to its best quarter on record.

“As trade policy unfolds, we can only predict more unpredictability,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “When sweeping changes were first announced, importers abruptly stopped their orders from China. When those policies were softened and deadlines extended, cargo volume picked up again. The supply chain has been on a roller coaster all year and that ride continues.

“Approximately 20% of vessels that call at the Port of Los Angeles are China-made. Some cargo-handling equipment and cranes are also manufactured in China. Tariffs in one area tend to lead to rising prices in other segments. In the end, making goods more expensive.”

Richard DiNucci, a senior international trade advisor and former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director of Field Operations, joined Seroka for the briefing. DiNucci discussed how the federal government shutdown has impacted global trade.

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September 2025 loaded imports came in at 460,044 TEUs, 7.6% less than last year. Loaded exports landed at 114,693 TEUs, about the same as 2024. The port handled 308,317 empty container units, 10% less than last year.

The port closed out the third quarter moving 2.9 million TEUs, its best three-month quarter ever. Nine months into 2025, the Port of Los Angeles has handled 7,817,057 TEUs, 3% more than the same period in 2024.