As a result of anticipated tariffs, the Port of Long Beach experienced a surge of cargo volume in March and marked its best first quarter on record, officials announced Monday.
Dock workers and terminal operators moved 817,457 twenty-foot equivalent units in March, a 25% increase from the same month in 2024. Imports grew by 25.8% to 380,562 TEUs and exports decreased by 1% to 104,063 TEUs.
Empty containers moving through the port increased by 35% to 332,832 TEUs.
“We are leading the way as the nation’s busiest port by ensuring the fastest, most efficient delivery of cargo from our docks to anywhere in the United States,” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said in a statement.
The port moved 2.5 million TEUs during the first quarter of 2025, a 26.6% increase compared to Q1 2024. Additionally, the port saw its busiest first half of any fiscal year on record with 5.2 million TEUs moved since October 1, 2024.
“Our highly skilled dock workers have put in the hard work to help us become the busiest seaport in the United States during the first quarter of the year,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal said in a statement.