Port of Los Angeles handles near-record levels of imports

The busiest maritime trade complex in the US continued to move near-record levels of imports in October as business-es bring goods in ahead of potential tariff increases and seek to avoid labour-related disruptions at alternative ports.

"The Port of Los Angeles handled a robust 905,000 container units in October," executive director Gene Seroka told reporters on Nov 20.

That is a 25 per cent gain over 2023 and is the first time the port handled more than 900,000 containers for four months in a row.

"Los Angeles processed more cargo between July and October than we did during our peak year in 2021 or our second-best year in 2022," Mr Seroka said.

Imports at the Port of Los Angeles (LA) in October landed at 462,740 20-foot container equivalent units, or TEUs. The port also handled 122,716 export containers and 319,570 empty containers in October, according to port data.

Next door, the Port of Long Beach moved nearly one million import, export and empty contain-ers in October, beating a record set just two months ago.