The throughput of the Port of Long Beach in California reached a record high in April, with 867,493 20-foot standard containers, an increase of 15.6% compared with the same period last year.

The throughput of this hub is 5.7% higher than the record set in April 2022. The import volume increased significantly to 419,828 TEUs, up by 15.1% year-on-year. The export volume decreased by 4.5% to 93,842 standard containers.

The change in empty container volume was the most significant, jumping 23% to 353,824 TEUs. The reason was that the de facto trade embargo led to a decline in the demand for outbound containers at Chinese ports. Carriers have cancelled dozens of eastbound trans-Pacific routes and redirected some vessels to trade routes with larger volumes.

The performance in April continued the momentum of the port's cargo volume increasing for 11 consecutive months. Together with the Port of Los Angeles, it forms the Port of SAN Pedro, which is the busiest import container gateway in the United States.

Despite setting a record, the freight volume of this port will still decline significantly in May. Officials expect a significant decline in imports, mainly due to the suspension of mutual tariffs and retaliatory tariffs between China and the United States earlier this month.

Mario Cordero, the CEO of the Port of Long Beach, said in a press release: "After ranking first among all U.S. ports in container cargo throughput in the first quarter of 2025, we expect imports to decline by more than 10% in May, and the impact will spread beyond the terminals." Soon, consumers may find that the selection of goods on store shelves is reduced and prices are rising. Given the ongoing uncertainty, the job market may also be affected.

The performance so far this year remains strong. The port's throughput in the first four months of 2025 was 3,403,069 TEUs, an increase of 23.6% compared with the same period in 2024. This overall growth provides some buffer for the expected "empty position" in May.