The early peak shipping season boosted the Port of Long Beach to its strongest month in its 113-year history in August as retailers moved cargo ahead of potential tariff increases and labour negotiations continued at seaports on the East and Gulf coasts.

The port moved 913,873 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in August, up 33.9% from the same month last year.

The Port of Long Beach said this figure surpassed the port's previous all-time one-month record, set in May 2021, by 6,657 TEUs.

For the period, imports jumped 40.4% from August 2023 to 456,868 TEUs, exports rose 12% to 104,646 TEUs, and empty containers moved through the Port increased 33.7% to 352,360 TEUs.

In addition to being the port's third consecutive monthly year-over-year increase, the Port of Long Beach noted that last month's performance also marked only the second time the port has exceeded 900,000 TEUs in a single month.

 [Containter trade in TEUs for August. Source: Port of Long Beach]

"Cargo diversions and concerns about upcoming tariffs are creating a busy peak season for us," said Mario Cordero, chief executive officer at Port of Long Beach.

"We're prepared for the uptick in shipments and continued growth through the rest of the year with a dedicated waterfront workforce, modern infrastructure and plenty of capacity across our terminals," he added.

Long Beach Harbor Commission president Bonnie Lowenthal noted that the docks are bustling with record-setting activity as the port continued to move cargo quickly, reliably and sustainably.

"As the premier gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port of Long Beach is delivering on its promise of outstanding service and facilitating the most efficient movement of goods across the supply chain," Lowenthal said.

The Port of Long Beach has moved 6,087,875 TEUs during the first eight months of 2024, up 21.9% from the same period last year.