The Port of Long Beach processed 774,935 twenty-foot equivalent units in March, and ended the first quarter of 2026 on a strong note, officials said Wednesday.
Imports landed at 374,412 TEUs, a decline of 1.6% compared to March 2025, while exported stood at 104,554 TEUs, an increase of 0.5%. Empty containers that moved through the port dropped by 11.1% to 295,970 TEUs.
While March figures represented a 5.2% decrease compared to the same time in 2025, port officials said they processed 2,390,225 TEUs in the first three months of the year. Cargo volume for the first quarter of 2026 was down 5.7% compared to 2025.
“Thanks to the efforts of our ILWU workforce and terminal operators, the Port of Long Beach led the nation as the busiest container port for the month of March,” Port Executive Director Noel Hacegaba said during an online media briefing.
“While not our strongest month on record, we handled nearly 775,000 TEUs, making us the busiest gateway in North America,” Hacegaba added.
Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy for the National Retail federation, joined Hacegaba for the briefing. They discussed the impacts of the war in the Middle East on trade. Port officials emphasized that impacts of the war, including blocked vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, have not manifested in Long Beach.
“What we’re seeing instead is the impact of tariffs and timing and the comparison to a strong baseline the year before,” Hacegaba said.
He also spoke on rising fuel costs, which he said is more reason for accelerating renewable energy and domestic energy independence.
Hacegaba highlighted the four-year anniversary of the Clean Truck Fund Rate, which was created to fund zero-emission trucks and infrastructure with container fees collected from cargo owners. Since its inception in 2022, more than $62 million has been reinvested toward transitioning trucks serving the port into a zero-emission fleet.
The port is also investing in zero-emission equipment, clean shipping corridors and offshore wind projects such as the port’s proposed pier wind terminal.
“The Clean Truck Fund Rate is one example of how the Port of Long Beach continues to be a longstanding leader in environmental stewardship,’ Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna said. “The Port is committed to seaport sustainability and eliminating pollution from port operations.”