Los Angeles – The Port of Los Angeles set a new September record, moving 1.04 million 20‑foot equivalent units (TEUs) through its 7,500‑acre facility, Executive Director Gene Seroka said Friday. Loaded containers alone reached almost 547,000 TEUs, also a first for the month.
Why the surge?
Importers chose the West Coast route from China to cut fuel costs, and many ships were diverted from the drought‑hit Panama Canal. Seroka noted that lower tariff levels this year have given shippers greater cost certainty, allowing them to restock inventories more quickly.
National context
U.S. container imports hit a record 2.55 million TEUs in September, according to supply‑chain data firm Descartes Systems. Retailers, which account for roughly half of container volume, are benefitting from strong consumer spending despite higher food and energy prices. The National Retail Federation projects total 2026 retail sales at $5.6 trillion, up 4.4 % from last year.
Emerging trends
Shipments tied to artificial‑intelligence projects, such as data‑center cooling components, are also on the rise. While the West Coast has absorbed more Asian vessels due to Panama Canal constraints, the port reports smoother operations than during the COVID‑19 surge, with fewer than 100 ships waiting to dock.
Looking ahead
Seroka expects the port to process about 900,000 TEUs in October, and he anticipates most holiday merchandise will arrive by November. He cautioned that any new trade announcement from Washington could introduce uncertainty, but the near‑term outlook remains robust.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
