The Port of Los Angeles reported handling 892,340 Twenty‑Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in June 2025, an 8% increase over June 2024 and the busiest June in its 117‑year history, according to a statement from the port.
The rise in container throughput was largely due to importers accelerating shipments to preempt potential tariff hikes later this year.
“Some importers are bringing in year‑end holiday cargo now ahead of potential higher tariffs later in the year,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “July may be our peak season month as retailers and manufacturers bring orders in earlier than usual, then brace for trade uncertainty.”
For the fiscal year ending June 30, the port recorded 10.5 million TEUs—the third consecutive fiscal year surpassing 10 million TEUs, unique in the Western Hemisphere—and met that milestone without any vessel backlog, Seroka added.
June’s breakdown included 470,450 TEUs of loaded imports (+10% year‑on‑year), 126,144 loaded export TEUs (+3%), and 295,746 empty containers (+7%).
In the first half of 2025, total throughput reached 4,955,812 TEUs, up 5% from the same period in 2024.
The National Retail Federation forecasted cargo volume declines from August through November 2025—10.4% in August, 19.9% in September, 19.2% in October and 21.3% in November—citing tariff uncertainty.
“The tariff situation remains highly fluid and retailers are working hard to stock up for the holiday season before the various tariffs that have been announced and paused actually take effect,” said Jonathan Gold, Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy at NRF.
This June increase follows a period of trade uncertainty driven by tariff policies. Earlier in 2025, the Trump administration imposed a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, later reduced to 45%, with a negotiation deadline of August 12, 2025. Additional tariffs include 25% on goods from Japan, South Korea and Malaysia, 30% on EU and Mexico imports, and 35% on Canadian imports—effective August 1, 2025—which prompted the front‑loading of shipments contributing to June’s record figures but raising concerns over future slowdowns.
Port of Los Angeles, operated by the City of Los Angeles Harbor Department, is the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere. Spanning 7,500 acres in San Pedro Bay, it handles around 40% of U.S. containerized imports. In fiscal year 2024–25 it processed 10.5 million TEUs, supporting nearly 2 million jobs and generating approximately $300 billion in economic output.
National Retail Federation (NRF), founded in 1911 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a trade association representing the retail industry, from independent stores to multinational chains. It advocates on policy matters, offers research and forecasting on consumer and supply chain trends, and engages with government bodies on trade-related issues.