Port of Long Beach sees busiest September and quarter in history with record cargo throughput

The Port of Long Beach enjoyed the busiest month in its history in September 2024, while the third quarter also recorded a new high for cargo throughput. The increase was primarily driven by increased demand for related commodities during the holiday season and advanced shipments of goods ahead of Exp-Date dates for labor contracts at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports.

Introduction to the Port of Long Beach

Located in southern California, the Port of Long Beach is one of the largest Container ports in North America and an important gateway for trans-Pacific trade. The port is strategically located and connects major shipping routes in Asia and North America, which is of great significance to ensuring the stability of global supply chains.

September cargo throughput data

According to the latest data, the Port of Long Beach handled 829,499 equivalent units (TEUs) in September, just 70 TEUs higher than the record set in September 2023. This is the fourth consecutive month that the Port of Long Beach has achieved year-over-year cargo throughput growth. Specifically:

• Imports: increased by 2% to 416,999 TEUs.
• EXP: It decreased by 12.8% to 88,289 TEUs.
• Empty containers: increased by 1.5% to 324,211 TEUs.

Cargo throughput in the first three quarters

The Port of Long Beach handled a total of 6,917,373 TEUs through the first nine months of 2024, representing an increase of 18.8% year-over-year. The third quarter (July 1 to September 30) was a record high, with a total of 2,625,747 TEUs processed, 78,628 TEUs higher than the record in the second quarter of 2022.

Data Overview