Uncertainty? Imports surge 40% at busiest U.S. container gateway

Those retail shelves aren’t going to stock themselves for the holidays. The Port of Long Beach handled 842,030 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) in May, an increase of 31. 7% from May 2025, and the third-busiest May on record. Long Beach, which with the Port of Los Angeles comprises the busiest U. S.

container gateway, saw imports soar 40% to 418,851 TEUs, while exports were better by 32. 9% at 109,168 TEUs. Empty containers, often an indicator of future import traffic, rose 21. 8% to 314,012 TEUs. Long Beach has processed 4,050,247 TEUs through the first five months of 2026, up 0. 2% y/y, closely tracking record volume in 2025.

“These numbers reflect the strength and adaptability of the supply chain,” Chief Executive Noel Hacegaba said in a media briefing. “Shippers are responding to the higher cost of doing business by moving cargo earlier.”

Hacegaba said rising fuel costs, tariff uncertainty and geopolitical concerns are all contributing to expectations for an earlier peak shipping season, with higher-than-normal cargo volumes anticipated in July and August. Retailers and other shippers are also frontloading to try and stay ahead of manufacturers’ cost increases set to take effect in July.

Carriers have been adjusting capacity, pushing trans-Pacific rates significantly higher over the past several weeks while making available booking space more scarce for shippers.

Hacegaba said the potential long-term effects of tariffs, energy availability and a peace agreement between the United States and Iran that led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz shadow business plans.

“While these issues may seem very different – security, energy markets and trade policy – they all point to the same challenge: uncertainty,” Hacegaba said. “Supply chains perform best when businesses can plan with confidence.

Whether we’re talking about fuel costs, geopolitical risks, or tariff policy, predictability remains one of the most important drivers of supply chain efficiency and economic growth.” Read more articles by Stuart Chirls here.

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