The Port of Long Beach delivered its third-busiest June on record, moving 779,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) — a 10.6% increase year-over-year — as shippers raced to front-load goods ahead of the July 24 tariff deadline, according to FreightWaves.
Record June and Strong First Half
The June volume marks the second consecutive month of year-over-year gains. Year-to-date throughput exceeded 4.8 million TEUs, nearly 2% ahead of the first half of 2025’s record-setting pace, Dr. Noel Hacegaba, the port’s chief executive, reported in an online briefing.
Import volumes rose 11% to over 387,000 TEUs, while exports dipped 1% to more than 86,000 TEUs. Empty containers increased 14% to nearly 306,000 TEUs, as ocean carriers worked to clear docks and create terminal capacity for incoming cargo.
| Cargo Type | June 2026 Volume (TEUs) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Imports | 387,000 | +11% |
| Exports | 86,000 | -1% |
| Empties | 306,000 | +14% |
| Total | 779,000 | +10.6% |
Tariff Deadline Drives Front-Loading and ‘Year-Round Peak’
The traditional peak shipping season has become obsolete, Hacegaba said. “Flexibility has become the supply chain’s greatest competitive advantage, but it now signals peak season is no longer a season. It’s a year-round strategy.”
Shippers are front-loading goods to beat the July 24 tariff deadline, when temporary 10% tariffs are set to automatically expire without clarity from the Trump administration. Fall and holiday merchandise that typically arrives in October, November, and December began appearing at the port as early as spring. The National Retail Federation announced that import volumes are projected to hit an all-time record at major container ports.
Ocean carriers responded by adding services and deploying extra loaders — unscheduled ships — to import more cargo and remove empty containers. “It may be July, but for the supply chain, the holiday shipping season has already started,” Hacegaba said. “Retailers are intent on restocking shelves while keeping prices as low as possible.”
Beyond seasonal goods, the port is seeing strong imports of AI data center hardware and infrastructure materials, reflecting sustained year-round demand for technology investments.
Intermodal Surge Strains Rail Connectivity
Intermodal activity has surged, with approximately 28% of containers now leaving port terminals by train, requiring daily coordination with Class I railroad partners. Data shows that the increase has slowed intermodal transportation by rail.
“We’re handling more cargo than ever before, but we’re not seeing anywhere close to the congestion, the delays, the backlogs that characterized the supply chain crisis just a few years ago,” Hacegaba said. He emphasized near-daily communication with Class I railroads to ensure adequate equipment and smooth pick-ups and drop-offs. “Speed to market is a key to our success. Rail connectivity is a key to our future.”
Geopolitical and Trade Policy Headwinds
Multiple external pressures are testing supply chain resilience. The Trump administration announced it will not renew the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in its current form — a pact valued at $2 trillion in annual trade, with U.S. exports to both countries exceeding $670 billion. Negotiations may continue through the summer or longer, with the possibility of separate bilateral deals.
In the Pacific, tensions heightened after the Trump administration cancelled a planned Navy drill with Taiwan in early July, while China continued military flights near the island. China also filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over additional tariffs.
Further risk looms from the administration’s national security investigation into copper imports, which Hacegaba described as the latest threat to trade policy stability.
Capital Investment and Outlook
Despite the turbulence, the Port of Long Beach is investing $2.3 billion in capital improvements through 2029. Hacegaba framed the record volumes as a testament to supply chain resilience amid tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty. Flexibility, he said, is now the supply chain’s greatest competitive advantage — and a year-round strategy for handling cargo flows that no longer follow a traditional seasonal pattern.
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