POLB: Cargo Volumes ‘Steady’ Through October (UPDATED 11/13)
The Port said it moved 8,229,916 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) through the first 10 months of 2025, up 4.1% from the same period last year.
It is moving cargo ahead of the “record-setting pace” achieved in 2024 “largely because retailers ordered shipments early and stocked warehouses before tariffs and reciprocal tariffs were implemented in spring,” according to POLB.
In October 2025, dockworkers and terminal operators moved 839,671 TEUs, down 14.9% from October 2024, which the Port said remains the busiest month in its 114-year history. Imports decreased 17.6% to 401,915 TEUs; exports decreased 11.5% to 99,817 TEUs; and empty containers moving through the Port declined 12.6% to 337,940 TEUs vs. the same month last year.
The Port also saw a cargo volume decline in September, albeit a smaller one (3.9%), which it attributed to “[s]oftening consumer demand and rising prices driven by shifting trade policies.”
“The consumer has not seen significant tariff impacts given that manufacturers, retailers, and others have shared in incurring some of these costs and mitigating price escalation to the consumer, but that may change as we approach 2026,” said POLB CEO Mario Cordero, who recently announced he will retire at the end of this year. “Consumers will likely see price escalation in the coming months as shippers continue to pass along the cost of tariffs on goods and a higher percentage of these costs will be passed on to the consumer.”
“Even in the midst of the nation’s longest government shutdown, cargo continues to move smoothly through our port and across the nation’s supply chain,” POLB Chief Operating Officer Noel Hacegaba added. “We continue to coordinate closely with all of our partners to anticipate and mitigate issues before they arise to keep cargo and our economy moving.”
“Our dedicated workforce and terminal operators are working hard to ensure store shelves are stocked and shoppers are able to purchase gifts for the holidays,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna commented. “We plan to continue delivering extraordinary customer service and building for a sustainable future into the new year.”
The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles recently extended their agreement with Anacostia Rail Holdings’ Pacific Harbor Line to provide railroad operating and maintenance services within the San Pedro Bay ports complex. Union Pacific and BNSF move cargo in and out of the complex.
Meanwhile, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board on Nov. 7 voted to approve a Cooperative Agreement with the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. “The enforceable agreement requires the ports to develop and implement charging and fueling infrastructure plans and includes annual reporting requirements and agency oversight,” according to South Coast AQMD, the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley.
The agreement is said to prioritize the development of “zero-emission infrastructure” at the ports. South Coast AQMD described it as “the first critical step toward eliminating emissions from cargo handling equipment, harbor craft, trucks, trains, and ocean-going vessels and attaining clean air in the region.” Under the agreement, it said:
- “The ports will develop comprehensive zero-emission Infrastructure Plans in three phases, including planning targets, key milestones, and public input.
- “South Coast AQMD will verify progress through annual reports and regular reporting to its Governing Board on implementation and progress.
- “Penalties for noncompliance range from $50,000 to $200,000 per default and will be used toward projects benefiting near-port communities.
- “A 45-day exit clause was included to provide flexibility for either party to withdraw if necessary.”
Since 2022, South Coast AQMD said it has hosted nearly 30 public meetings, including Board and Mobile Source Committee meetings, community meetings, and office hours on the agreement; public feedback directly influenced such key items as enforcement, doubled penalties, and public process for the development and modifications of infrastructure plans.
“The Governing Board also adopted a resolution to pause rulemaking for five years—unless the agreement is terminated early—allowing time for the infrastructure planning needed while preserving South Coast AQMD’s authority to resume rulemaking if needed,” South Coast AQMD said.
The Cooperative Agreement must be approved by the Boards of Harbor Commissioners for both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles.
South Coast AQMD and the ports “will continue to negotiate on additional measures to expand emission reduction efforts, with updates expected in Spring 2026,” the regulatory agency said. “These future actions will focus on near-term emission reductions and support for long-term zero-emission goals.”
“[The Nov. 7] approval of the Cooperative Agreement by the SCAQMD marks an important step forward to accelerate further progress in cleaning the air at the nation’s largest port complex,” POLB reported via social media. “It grew out of a transparent public process and extensive collaboration between AQMD and POLB/POLA.”
The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners on Nov. 11 voted unanimously to approve the Cooperative Agreement. The Los Angeles Harbor Commission is scheduled to vote on the agreement at its next regular meeting on Nov. 20, after which the three parties will execute the agreement.
The POLB on Nov. 11 reported that “in the months ahead, the ports will also continue working with SCAQMD on additional CAAP Plus measures that will focus on emission-reducing strategies related to cleaner oceangoing vessels, the largest source of emissions at the ports, through strategies like the Environmental Ship Index Incentive Programs.” The measures, it said, could also include strategies like committing Clean Truck Fund Rate revenue to subsidize the transition to zero-emission trucks and infrastructure, developing a zero-emissions drayage truck utilization incentive program and consulting annually with SCAQMD on spending priorities. The additional CAAP Plus measures will be negotiated by the parties with a spring 2026 completion target, according to POLB.
