Port of Long Beach cargo volume falls in March and Q1

Port of Long Beach cargo volume fell in March and in the first quarter. The facility was still the busiest U.S. container gateway in both periods, port officials said. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Port of Long Beach cargo volume in March and Q1

In March, the port handled 774,935 20-foot-equivalent units. That was 5.2% below the same month in 2025. Imports fell 1.6% to 374,412 TEUs. Exports rose 0.5% to 104,554 TEUs. Empty container traffic dropped 11.1% to 295,970 TEUs. Over the first quarter, the Port of Long Beach processed 2,390,225 TEUs. That was a 5.7% year-over-year decline.

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Tariff timing, conflict uncertainty and rail links

At a media briefing, Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba discussed the decline. He said it was tied to the timing of U.S. tariff policies and the record cargo volumes seen in 2025. He did not tie the decline to the conflict in the Middle East. He added that the conflict has not yet been reflected in the port’s cargo figures. Still, it is creating uncertainty for global supply chains as ships are rerouted and costs rise.

Pacific Harbor Line serves the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles and connects them to the national rail network.

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