The Port of Los Angeles processed 752,520 containers in March, representing a 3% decrease compared to the same month last year when cargo volume heightened as shippers front-loaded goods to avoid tariffs, officials announced Monday.
During an online briefing, Port CEO Gene Seroka said that while cargo volume decreased slightly, overall the facility closed out the first quarter of 2026 well with a total of nearly 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units processed — equal to its first-quarter average over the last five years.
He noted that cargo volume regularly slows down around this time of year due to the Lunar New Year.
“Cargo flow in March was solid and our first-quarter performance was consistent with our five-year trend,” Gene Seroka said. “In today’s uncertain environment, consistency matters — and we’re staying ahead of things so our waterfront workers and partners can continue to deliver reliable, efficient operations for our customers.”
March imports totaled 380,733 TEUs, a 1% decrease compared to March 2025. Loaded exports reached 132,129 TEUs, an increase of 7% compared to 2025, but also reflected the highest number of outbound containers since May 2024.
The port processed 239,658 empty containers, a decrease of 11% compared to March 2025.
Seroka said federal trade policies and rising inflation coupled with broad economic impacts of the conflict in the Middle East, particularly fuel prices, are weighing on consumers and companies alike. He left on a lighter note, adding that early data for April shows an uptick in business.
“Based on the port optimizer and other data, I’m projecting April will land in the 800,000 TEU range, a solid start to the second quarter,” Seroka said.
Also during the briefing, Jerrold Green, a senior fellow for the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations who serves as president emeritus for the Pacific Council on International Policy, discussed the impact of the war in the Middle East, and the tenuous cease fire announced last week between the United States and Iran.
“I, frankly, am concerned about what’s happening in the region. It seems to me that the Middle East, and therefore the world, has changed permanently, and even if we try and go back to where we were, it simply won’t be possible,” Green said.
He added that while the United States focuses on the Middle East, he worried about a lack of attention to other critical trade routes. Green said there are major risks across various industries and for consumers if the war continues.
“It seems to me that the economic consequences of this will have profound political consequences,” Green said.