Summary
- Port of Los Angeles handled a record 1,042,652 TEUs during September 2026.
- September performance marked the busiest month in the port’s 118-year history.
- Loaded inbound container shipments jumped 19% year-over-year to 545,696 TEUs.
- Quarterly container volumes reached nearly 3 million TEUs from July through September.
The Port of Los Angeles achieved an all-time operational throughput record in September 2026, handling a total of 1,042,652 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), according to reporting by FreightWaves and gCaptain. The milestone represents the single busiest month in the Southern California gateway’s 118-year operational history, underscoring intense freight demand across transpacific logistics channels.
According to reports from the Los Angeles Times and the Port of Los Angeles Official Press Release, September’s performance surpassed the hub’s prior monthly record set in July 2025 by more than 20,000 TEUs. This record-breaking surge also concluded the port’s busiest quarter on record, with nearly 3 million TEUs moving across its maritime container terminals throughout the three-month period spanning July through September.
Cargo metrics detailed by FreightWaves and official terminal data illustrate that import activities served as the primary catalyst for the surge. Loaded inbound shipments climbed to 545,696 TEUs, marking a robust 19% increase compared to the same month in the prior year. Outbound freight also maintained positive momentum, with loaded export containers advancing 10% year-over-year to reach 125,751 TEUs. Simultaneously, equipment repositioning demands drove empty container throughput to a historic record of 371,206 TEUs.
Reflecting on the record-breaking throughput and ongoing commercial conditions, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka highlighted shifting shipper strategies across international supply chains. ‘September was a month for the record books, and it was part of an extraordinary run for the Port of Los Angeles,’ Seroka stated. ‘Consumer demand remains resilient, importers are replenishing inventories and more cargo is being allocated to Los Angeles as shippers navigate continued challenges along other global trade routes.’
The sustained volume surge highlights key operational realities for shippers, ocean carriers, and freight intermediaries. As import replenishment cycles intensify ahead of major commercial seasons, cargo interests have increasingly concentrated vessel calls at the Port of Los Angeles to mitigate disruptions across alternative trade routes. The gateway’s ability to process record volumes of laden and empty equipment signals resilient consumer demand and demonstrates the ongoing importance of primary Pacific coast hubs in global trade flows.
