In January the Port of Los Angeles handled 812,000 TEUs – down 12% compared to the same period a year ago. The slowdown comes as little surprise, as demand on the trans-Pacific trade has weakened since a brief run-up ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday, when factories shut down for several weeks.
Further content is only available for registered users.
Results at the busiest US container gateway were hard-pressed to match the surge of the 2025 period, when shippers scrambled to bring in goods ahead of President Donald Trump’s tariff deadlines.
“Inventories remain slightly higher, reflecting the earlier cargo surge and a more cautious restocking pace,” said port Executive Director Gene Seroka in a media briefing. “US trade policy continues to keep everyone on edge. However, the American consumer has shown remarkable resilience. And purchase orders that go out three months in advance to Asia look stable, a good sign.” Loaded imports totalled 421,594 TEUs – down 13% compared to the year before. Loaded exports fell to 104,297 TEUs – down 8%. The port processed 286,110 empty container units, an indicator of future import traffic – 12% less than a year ago.