Port of Long Beach reaches all-time record in October

The Port of Long Beach moved nearly 1 million cargo containers in October, achieving its strongest month in its 113-year history, driven by brisk demand for holiday goods and delayed containership arrivals caused by a nearby traffic incident and fire that affected some terminal operations at the end of September.

Dockworkers and terminal operators moved 987,191 twenty-foot equivalent units in October, up 30.7% from the same month last year and surpassing the Port’s previous all-time one-month record set just two months earlier in August 2024 by 8%. Imports jumped 34.2% to 487,563 TEUs and exports rose 25.3% to 112,845 TEUs. Empty containers moved through the Port grew 28.1% to 386,782 TEUs. October also marked the Port’s fifth consecutive monthly year-over-year cargo increase.

“We appreciate the hard work of our waterfront workforce and terminal operators as they continue to move cargo at a record-setting pace by moving nearly 1 million TEUs without congestion or backlogs,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “We anticipate a continued influx of cargo due to robust consumer demand, concerns about potential tariffs and ongoing labor negotiations at ports on the East and Gulf coasts.”

“Our string of recent records demonstrates the strength of our customer service and ongoing collaboration with labor and industry stakeholders,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal. “Our top priority is to quickly move goods from the docks to doorsteps and store shelves as we head into the busy holiday shopping season.”

The Port has moved 7,904,564 TEUs during the first 10 months of 2024, up 20.2% from the same period last year.