The Port of Los Angeles reported handling 778,406 TEUs in March 2025, marking a 4.7 per cent increase compared to the same month last year.
This brings the port’s first-quarter total to 2,504,049 TEUs, up 5.2 per cent from 2024’s already strong performance.
“Our volume remained strong throughout the first quarter, and we’ve now seen year-over-year growth in 18 of the last 20 months,” said Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, during a media briefing.
Seroka noted that the second quarter appears promising as importers prepare for seasonal retail shifts. “The start of the second quarter looks encouraging as importers begin to plan for spring and summer fashion, as well as back to school,” he said.
Seroka expressed caution about the remainder of the year: “With tariff and counter tariffs dominating the news, I expect we’ll see cargo decline in the second half of the year at least 10 per cent compared to 2024,” he warned.
“That’s because many importers have already brought their goods in early, and as prices begin to rise, consumers will think twice about many purchases.”
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In terms of cargo breakdown for March, loaded imports reached 385,531 TEUs, a 1.6 per cent rise year-on-year.
Loaded exports, however, fell sharply to 122,975 TEUs—a 15 per cent drop from 2024.
Empty containers saw a notable increase, totalling 269,900 TEUs, up 23 per cent from the previous year.
The Port of Los Angeles handled 801,398 TEUs in February, a 2.5 per cent increase from last year, making it the second-busiest February on record. Loaded imports totalled 413,236 TEUs at the Port of Los Angeles, a 1 per cent increase over the previous year, while loaded exports totalled 109,156 TEUs, down 18 per cent from 2024.
