Freightwaves: Top West Coast port sees second-best July on record

Published by freightwaves 

The Port of Long Beach ran to its second-busiest July on record and the fourth-strongest month in its 115-year history.

Long Beach, which with adjoining Port of Los Angeles comprises the top San Pedro Bay import gateway, moved 928,508 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in July, down from 1.7% from July 2025.

Imports were essentially flat, off 0.1% to 467,461 TEUs, while exports increased 14.8% to 104,843 TEUs. Empty containers, frequently an indicator of future imports, fell 7.4% to 356,205 TEUs.

Analysts say the surge is backed by surprising consumer resilience amid inflation and higher peices, and marks the beginning of an extended peak season that is now expected to stretch into September. The National Retail Federation revised its summer import forecast to steady, elevated gains while Maersk (OTC: AMKBY) on Thursday raised its full-year guidance for the second time.

Year-to-date, Long Beach has processed 5,758,086 TEUs through the first seven months of 2026, a gain of 1.2% y/y.