LOS ANGELES — The Port of Los Angeles processed more than 1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July, marking the busiest month in its 117-year history as shippers rushed to bring in goods ahead of new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports.
Total container volume reached 1,019,837 TEUs, including a record 543,728 TEUs in imports. Speaking to CNBC, Executive Director Gene Seroka credited longshore workers, terminal operators, rail partners, truckers and other supply chain players for handling the surge “without any delay.”
The record volumes reflect months of front-loading ahead of tariffs set at a minimum of 30%, according to Mike Short, President of Global Forwarding at C.H. Robinson. The peak season started two to three months earlier than normal but has already begun to taper off, he said. Retail goods and low-cost items experienced the largest pullbacks, while higher-value technology and healthcare imports remained steady.
Spot freight rates from Shanghai to the U.S. have fallen nearly 60% from early June highs, according to HLS Group, though analysts expect a temporary boost in September as holiday-season demand picks up.
The Marine Exchange of Southern California reports that incoming container ship traffic has already begun to decline, signaling the end of the tariff-driven surge. The Port Optimizer shows that vessel arrivals for late August could be down by 16% compared to the prior week.
July exports included seasonal goods such as Christmas and Halloween décor for Home Depot, refrigerators from Samsung, and furniture from IKEA and Bob’s Discount Furniture.
