The Port of Los Angeles, the nation’s busiest container seaport, announced Wednesday that it shattered its previous June cargo record as businesses across multiple industries raced to bring in goods before facing higher fuel costs and new import tariffs.
The Southern California port moved 1,002,734 twenty-foot equivalent units, known as TEUs, in June — a 12% increase compared to June of last year. Executive Director Gene Seroka noted this marks only the third time in the port’s 118-year history that it has surpassed the one million TEU threshold in a single month. June import volumes climbed 13% to 530,558 units, while exports edged up slightly by 0.2% to 126,365 units.
Nearby, the Port of Long Beach reported Tuesday that it processed 779,331 TEUs last month, making it the third-highest June volume ever recorded at that facility, driven in part by an 11% rise in imports.
Across the country, U.S. container imports rose 8.2% in June compared to the same period a year ago, according to data from supply chain technology provider Descartes Systems Group.
Several factors are driving the import rush. The ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran has thrown global and Middle Eastern shipping routes into disarray, causing marine fuel prices to spike. Some retailers and manufacturers are also concerned that critical raw materials and manufactured products could become difficult to obtain or too costly to ship.
Adding to the pressure, the Trump administration is set to roll out a new tariff strategy this month based on Section 301 of U.S. trade law, a provision that allows the government to investigate unfair trade practices by other countries. The new duties are intended to replace emergency tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down back in February.
