In July, the Port of Los Angeles processed almost 1 million containers, continuing a trend of strong cargo volumes even as the early shipping season starts to slow down.
The busiest container port in the U.S. reported handling 960,464 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, marking its second-highest July ever. Although this is a 6% drop from last year's record-setting July, it still exceeds the port's five-year average for the month by 7.5%.
This strong performance follows an impressive June, where the port handled over 1 million TEUs.
“After exceeding 1 million containers in June, we were close to that number again in July,” said Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. “Businesses are shifting cargo when they see the chance to do so amid changing trade conditions, while steady consumer demand helps keep imports at strong levels.”
In July, loaded imports amounted to 499,552 TEUs, which is an 8% decrease from last year's record but still 6% above the five-year July average. Loaded exports also declined by 8% year on year, totaling 111,776 TEUs, while movements of empty containers dropped by 2% to 349,137 TEUs.
From January to July 2026, the port has handled 6.08 million TEUs, a 1.8% increase compared to the same time last year.
These strong July figures come as retailers and importers are nearing the end of an unusually early peak shipping season, with companies moving cargo ahead of tariff changes and other uncertainties in the supply chain.
According to the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates, imports at major U.S. container ports are expected to stay high in August before tapering off for the rest of the year.
“This year, retailers brought in merchandise earlier due to expected tariff changes in late July and responded to ongoing supply chain uncertainties, such as disruptions from the conflict in Iran,” said Jonathan Gold, Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy at NRF.
Temporary global tariffs of 10% that began in February expired on July 23, followed by new Section 301 tariffs of 10% to 12.5% affecting a wide range of U.S. imports.
This uncertainty led businesses to move cargo sooner, continuing a trend where the traditional peak shipping season is becoming more spread out due to tariffs and other global risks.
Global Port Tracker estimates that U.S. ports managed 2.21 million TEUs of imports in July, which is a 7.6% drop from the previous year. For August, imports are forecasted at 2.22 million TEUs, down 4.2% year over year, with more noticeable declines expected in the fall.
Even with the anticipated slowdown, imports are likely to stay above 2025 levels for most of the remainder of the year. Global Port Tracker predicts total imports for the year to be around 25.5 million TEUs, nearly the same as in 2025.
At the Los Angeles port, Seroka mentioned that they are anticipating another strong month in August, but noted that some cargo typically linked to the peak season has already arrived.
“We expect another strong month in August, although some cargo that usually comes later in the season is already here,” Seroka stated. “Consumer demand remains a key factor for the rest of the year.”
Seroka also pointed out that Los Angeles has the capacity to handle more cargo if changing global trade patterns lead to an increase in containers coming through Southern California.
The July performance follows a record-setting June with 1,002,734 TEUs processed, bringing the total for the two months close to 2 million TEUs and highlighting the scale of the early-season cargo surge.