Port of Los Angeles sets September volume record, executive director says

LOS ANGELES: The Port of Los Angeles, the busiest in the US for containers, set a volume record in September as holiday goods hit docks, ships were routed away from the drought-stricken Panama Canal and importers picked the shortest route from China to reduce use of pricey fuel, Executive Director Gene Seroka said on Friday.

Workers at the facility handled 1.04 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) during the month. Loaded containers accounted for almost 547,000 TEUs, also a new record, Seroka said.

Experts view US import data as an indicator of national economic health, consumer demand and reactions to trade policies.


"Tariffs are lower than the levels we saw earlier this year and last, giving importers more certainty on costs and allowing them to replenish inventories at a quicker rate," Seroka said of US import levies that have disrupted trade.

Total US container imports hit 2.55 million TEUs in September, a record for the month, according to supply-chain technology provider Descartes Systems.

US consumers have continued to spend, even as prices for necessities like food and energy have marched higher. Retailers account for roughly 50% of container volume, and the National Retail Federation forecast total 2026 retail sales of $5.6 trillion, up 4.4% from last year.

Shipments of equipment related to artificial intelligence projects, including components used to cool data centers, also are booming.

The surge in demand, however, has not benefited all container ports equally.

Some ships from Asia have shifted to the West Coast from the East Coast due to restrictions on the Panama Canal shortcut, said Seroka, who added that the West Coast route is the fastest for trade with that export powerhouse.

The Los Angeles port covers 7,500 acres (about 3,000 hectares) of combined land and water and lately has handled more containers than it did during the COVID-19 shipping surge, without the bottlenecks that led to more than 100 ships waiting to enter.

The port will process about 900,000 TEUs in October, said Seroka, who added that most holiday merchandise should be in the country by November.

While the near-term outlook for trade at the port remains strong, risks remain, he said.

"What could cause it to change? Another social media post or announcement on trade from Washington that could create some sort of uncertainty once again."