(Bloomberg) — The Port of Los Angeles had its second-busiest July on record, as importers navigated global supply chain disruptions and volatile tariff policy.
“Businesses continue to move cargo when they see windows of opportunity amid an evolving trade environment,” Port of LA Executive Director Gene Seroka told reporters Tuesday.
The US’s busiest container gateway processed 499,552 containers loaded with imports in July, according to LA port data tracking volumes in 20-foot container equivalent units, or TEUs. That’s 8% lower than the record set for July last year, but 6% higher than the port’s five-year average for the month.
Last year, importers rushed goods into the US in July ahead of an early August deadline for the country specific tariffs that were ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court in February. President Donald Trump has been rolling out a series of new duties since then, under authorities considered to be more legally durable, like Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Overall, dockworkers processed 960,464 container units last month, marking the second-busiest July for the Southern California port. Loaded exports totaled 111,776 containers fell 8% compared to last year, and empty containers came in 2% lower than last July, at 349,137.
Businesses are also grappling with elevated freight costs related to the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, congestion is building at the Panama Canal and wait times for crossing from a couple of days to as long as three weeks. The El Niño weather phenomenon promises to make it worse.
The National Retail Federation expects import volumes nationally to remain high in August before declining for the rest of 2026, according to the Global Port Tracker.
“We had an early peak season this year as retailers brought in merchandise ahead of tariff changes in late July and responded to other uncertainties in the supply chain like the ongoing disruption brought by the conflict in Iran,” NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in a statement earlier this month.
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