Consumer demand bolstered cargo volume at the Port of Los Angeles, which reported Tuesday it processed 960,464 container units in July, continuing a stretch of strong performance so far this summer.
While cargo was 6% lower than the July 2025 all-time record, when businesses surged cargo ahead of anticipated trade policy changes, the volume was still 7.5% above the port’s five-year average for the month, Port of LA CEO Gene Seroka said during an online briefing Tuesday.
Loaded imports reached 499,552 Twenty-Food Equivalent Units, or TEUs, representing a decrease of 8% compared with last year’s record month but 6% above the five-year July average. Loaded exports totaled 111,776 TEUs, down 8% compared with last year. Empty containers totaled 349,137 TEUs, down 2% year-over-year.
The port has handled a total of 6.08 million TEUs during the first seven months of 2026, representing a 1.8% increase over the same period last year, officials said.
“After topping 1 million container units in June, we nearly reached that mark again in July,” Seroka said. “Businesses continue to move cargo when they see windows of opportunity amid an evolving trade environment, while resilient consumer demand is helping keep imports at historically strong levels.”
“We expect another strong month in August, although some cargo that traditionally arrives later in the season has already moved,” Seroka added. “Consumer demand remains the most important variable as we look toward the balance of the year.”
Lance Hastings, president and CEO of the California Manufacturers and Technology Association, joined Seroka for the briefing, during which he discussed business conditions, manufacturing activity, trade policy and tariffs. Hastings also discussed the opportunities and challenges facing California manufacturers.