The Port of Long Beach moved 997,177 twenty-foot-equivalent units in September, its busiest month in 115 years and a 25% increase from September 2025, port officials said Thursday.
The total surpassed the port’s previous monthly record of 987,191 TEUs, set in October 2024.
Port Chief Executive Noel Hacegaba said shippers increasingly relied on Long Beach as they adjusted to high diesel costs, Panama Canal access restrictions and the prospect of a new U.S.-China trade agreement. He said the record came with no congestion.
Loaded imports rose 31.3% year over year to 509,390 TEUs, while exports increased 7.8% to 91,747 TEUs. Empty container moves climbed 22.1% to 396,040 TEUs.
Through the first nine months of 2026, the port handled 7,675,255 TEUs, up 3.9% from the same period in 2025.
Hacegaba highlighted Total Terminals International, which set a Port of Long Beach monthly rail record in September by handling 59,410 moves, nearly half of the terminal’s total container volume.
The port also announced an incentive program ahead of Caltrans’ planned 16-month deck-replacement project on the Vincent Thomas Bridge, which begins Nov. 7. Starting in late October, Long Beach container terminals will offer additional evening and Saturday gates for six weeks, excluding Thanksgiving week, to give truckers more flexibility during the closure.
The port expects to remain fully open while the bridge project proceeds at the neighboring Port of Los Angeles.
Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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