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yesterday

Front-Loaded Holiday Imports Set Up Fall Slowdown at Port of Los Angeles

Port leaders cite shifting U.S. tariffs pulling peak-season cargo into summer, with September projected about 10% lower.

Image
Containers sit at the Port of Los Angeles, in San Pedro, California, U.S., July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
The Port of Los Angeles cargo ships, container ships Wednesday Sept. 25, 2024. (Photo by Chuck Bennett, Contributing Photographer)

Overview

  • Port of Los Angeles chief Gene Seroka said retailers finished holiday importing at least a month early, with most goods already moving through the national supply chain.
  • Los Angeles set a July record at 1,019,837 TEUs and handled 958,355 TEUs in August, down 0.2% year over year, bringing year-to-date volume to 6,934,004 TEUs, up 4.5%.
  • The port expects roughly 850,000 TEUs in September, about 10% below last year, and forecasts softer volumes through year-end, in line with NRF’s outlook for a steady decline.
  • The neighboring Port of Long Beach moved 901,846 TEUs in August, its second-best August, as officials point to slower job growth and sticky inflation weighing on demand.
  • Policy shifts are lifting logistics costs, with reciprocal tariffs raising many importer bills to 15% or near double early-year levels, the de minimis exemption scrapped, and U.S. docking fees for China-built or -operated ships set to start Oct. 14, though schedules have not materially changed.