Looming tariffs sparked the busiest June on record at the Port of Los Angeles.
In June, the Port of Los Angeles handled more than 892,000 20-foot equivalent units. This was its busiest June in 117 years of operation.
“Some importers are bringing in year-end holiday cargo now ahead of potential higher tariffs later in the year,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “July may be our peak-season month as retailers and manufacturers bring orders in earlier than usual, then brace for trade uncertainty.”
Loaded imports at the port were 10% higher in June than the previous year.
Compared to 2024, loaded exports were up 3%, and the port processed 7% more empty container units than a year before.
Through June, the Port of Los Angeles handled 5% more 20-foot equivalent units in 2025 than during the same period in 2024.
“The Port of Los Angeles closed its fiscal year on June 30, ending the period handling 10.5 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units),” Seroka said. “That marks our third fiscal year exceeding 10 million TEUs, the only Western Hemisphere port to do so. And this time, we reached that mark without a single vessel backed up.”
Full container counts are available on the Port of Los Angeles website.
The Port of Los Angeles handled 892,340 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in June 2025, 8% more than last year. It was the busiest June in the Port’s 117-year history. https://t.co/aeILgGwhmH pic.twitter.com/NuQPTOsoIn
— Port of Los Angeles (@PortofLA) July 14, 2025
Tariffs and trucking
The latest data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics showed the largest decline in truck freight crossing borders since June 2020.
A decline is typical for this time of year. However, tariffs and efforts to address them have distorted the market.
“As we finalize data for May and beyond, those factors and swings in diesel prices are likely to expose the true instability in the freight market,” Avery Vise, vice president of trucking for Freight Transportation Research Associates, said in a statement.
Additionally, the number of truck driver jobs declined for the second consecutive month, according to the latest report.
The surge of jobs seen in March was likely due to businesses preparing for tariffs expected to go into effect in April.
“Carriers will do everything they can to retain quality drivers, but equipment reductions alone could lead to some future reductions in employment to the driver population,” said David Spencer, vice president of market intelligence at Arrive Logistics. LL
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