Tariff pause drives Port of Long Beach to record July

Port of Long Beach.

A pause in tariffs in recent months lifted the Port of Long Beach in California to its most active July on record and the third-busiest month in its 114-year history. The 90-day pause on higher tariffs on Chinese imports that is set to expire tomorrow. At the time of this story, it was unclear if it will be extended.

Dockworkers and terminal operators processed 944,232 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July, up 7% from the previous record set in July 2024. Imports rose 7.6% to 468,081 TEUs and exports declined 12.9% to 91,328 TEUs. Empty containers moving through the port increased 12.3% to 384,824 TEUs. 

“Retailers are now seeing the arrival of goods that were purchased for lower costs during the temporary pause placed on tariffs and retaliatory tariffs earlier this year,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “Due to the ongoing uncertainty caused by shifting trade policies, our Supply Chain Information Highway digital tracking tool forecasts that cargo will be down about 10% in the second half of 2025, resulting in a flat year for volume.”

“We appreciate our terminal operators, truckers, dockworkers and all the individuals who are moving cargo through the Port at a record-setting pace,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “We continue to work closely with labor and industry to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

The port has moved 5,690,863 TEUs through the first seven months of 2025, up 10% from the same period in 2024.

For complete numbers, visit polb.com/statistics.