Strong consumer demand drives trade headed into the holiday shopping season
The Port of Long Beach moved nearly 1 million cargo containers in October, achieving its strongest month in its 113-year history, driven by brisk demand for holiday goods and delayed containership arrivals caused by a nearby traffic incident and fire that affected some terminal operations at the end of September.
Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 987,191 twenty-foot equivalent units in October, up 30.7% from the same month last year and surpassing the Port’s previous all-time one-month record set just two months earlier in August 2024 by 8%. Imports jumped 34.2% to 487,563 TEUs and exports rose 25.3% to 112,845 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the Port grew 28.1% to 386,782 TEUs. October also marked the Port’s fifth consecutive monthly year-over-year cargo increase.
“We appreciate the hard work of our waterfront workforce and terminal operators as they continue to move cargo at a record-setting pace by moving nearly 1 million TEUs without congestion or backlogs,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “We anticipate a continued influx of cargo due to robust consumer demand, concerns about potential tariffs and ongoing labor negotiations at ports on the East and Gulf coasts.”
“Our string of recent records demonstrates the strength of our customer service and ongoing collaboration with labor and industry stakeholders,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal. “Our top priority is to quickly move goods from the docks to doorsteps and store shelves as we head into the busy holiday shopping season.”
The Port has moved 7,904,564 TEUs during the first 10 months of 2024, up 20.2% from the same period last year.
The Port of Long Beach is a global leader in green port initiatives and top-notch customer service, moving cargo with reliability, speed and efficiency. As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at $200 billion annually and supports 2.6 million jobs across the United States, including 575,000 in Southern California. In 2024, industry leaders named it “The Best West Coast Seaport in North America” for the sixth consecutive year. During the next 10 years, the Port is planning $2.3 billion in capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness and sustainability.
