Port of Los Angeles hits 891,000 TEUs

The Port of Los Angeles processed 890,861 twenty-foot equivalent units in April, the port said on May 11, making it the busiest month of 2026 so far and the second-busiest April on record. The total was up 5.7% from a year earlier, according to the port’s cargo release. Executive Director Gene Seroka said spring and summer merchandise was already arriving, with back-to-school goods and early holiday inventory next in line. The figures show cargo continuing to move through the San Pedro Bay gateway even as trade policy uncertainty and higher transport costs remain in the background. ### How strong was April at the Port of Los Angeles? April’s 890,861-TEU total was the highest monthly volume the port has posted since August 2025, Seroka said during a May 12 media briefing. The port said loaded imports reached 459,825 TEUs, up 5% from a year earlier and 21% above March. Loaded exports were 127,726 TEUs, down 0.5%, while empty containers totaled 303,310 TEUs, up 10%. (portoflosangeles.org) May 11 data from the port put year-to-date volume at 3,279,704 TEUs through the first four months of 2026. That was 2% above the five-year average for the period but 2% below the pace a year earlier, when importers had accelerated shipments, the port said. ### What is driving the import flow right now? (portoflosangeles.org) Gene Seroka said spring and summer goods are already landing at the port and that the next wave would include back-to-school products followed by early holiday inventory. Supply Chain Dive reported the same sequencing from Seroka’s comments, describing retailers as moving seasonal goods into the pipeline. (portoflosangeles.org) The Port of Los Angeles said strong import demand persisted despite uncertainty around tariffs and trade policy. Railway Age, citing the port’s release, also described April as the second-busiest April on record. ### If the port is busy, why are landed costs still a concern? (supplychaindive.com) Rising inland transportation costs are one reason a strong port month does not automatically mean cheaper delivered goods. RSM said businesses and households should expect higher costs to be passed through as fuel and transportation prices rise. Its Market Minute series described an environment of elevated prices and tighter capital, while other freight-market reporting in May showed diesel rebounding and truckload fuel surcharges resetting higher. (portoflosangeles.org) For lower-value, bulkier shipments, those inland costs can matter as much as ocean transit. That is especially relevant for plastics, storage products and other consumables where freight takes a larger share of total landed cost; this is an inference drawn from the reported rise in diesel and trucking costs combined with the port’s import data. (rsmus.com) ### What did Seroka say about the broader trade backdrop? May 18 coverage from Supply Chain Dive said April’s volume jump came despite what it called the shadow of the Iran war, with Seroka saying cargo flows remained steady. Other trade publications reported Seroka saying confidence in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz was still not fully restored, even as volumes at Los Angeles held up. (portoflosangeles.org) The port’s own release framed the month as strong import demand amid uncertainty around tariffs and trade policy. That leaves the April figures as a snapshot of current throughput rather than a guarantee about costs deeper in the supply chain. ### What should readers watch next? (supplychaindive.com) The Port of Los Angeles said current and historical cargo data are available on its website, and the next monthly cargo update will show whether the expected back-to-school and early holiday flow materializes. Through April, the port had already handled 3.28 million TEUs, with Seroka pointing to the next seasonal import waves in the months ahead. (portoflosangeles.org)