A final push by shippers to move goods before the start of new tariffs lifted the Port of Long Beach to its second-busiest July on record, Port CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba announced during the latest episode of his Supply Chain Insight media briefing series.
The latest cargo numbers showed that Long Beach dockworkers and terminal operators processed 928,508 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) last month, a 1.7% dip from July 2025.
Last month marked the seventh time the Port of Long Beach had surpassed 900,000 TEUs in its 115-year history, Mr. Hacegaba said, adding that shippers were preparing for uncertainty leading up to the July 24 expiration of the temporary tariff program.
Although the latest tariffs affect more than 90% of all U.S. imports, Mr. Hacegaba said he does not expect it to significantly impact trade at the San Pedro Bay ports complex.
“This capped an early peak season as companies continued to navigate tariff uncertainty, higher fuel costs and other global issues,” Mr. Hacegaba told reporters. “Our strong import numbers show that the supply chain continues to be resilient and adapting to this new normal.”
Imports were down slightly a flat 0.1% to 467,461 TEUs, while exports soared 14.8% to 104,843 TEUs year over year. Empty containers last month fell 7.4% to 356,205 TEUs.
For the first seven months of this year, the Port of Long Beach has moved 5,758,086 TEUs across its docks, 1.2% ahead of the same period in 2025.
(Photo of Port of Long Beach)