The Port of Long Beach recorded its busiest month in its 115-year history in September, handling 997,177 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) as container traffic surged by 25% compared with the same month in 2025, port officials announced Thursday.
The latest figures establish a new monthly record, surpassing the previous peak of 987,191 TEUs set in October 2024.
Port Chief Executive Noel Hacegaba attributed the increase partly to shippers turning to Long Beach as they adapt to rising diesel prices, restrictions on access to the Panama Canal and expectations surrounding a potential new trade agreement between the United States and China. Despite the sharp rise in volumes, he said the port achieved the milestone without congestion.
September surge driven by imports
Imports were the main factor behind the record performance. Loaded inbound containers increased 31.3% year over year to 509,390 TEUs, while loaded exports increased 7.8% to 91,747 TEUs.
Empty container movements also posted robust growth, climbing 22.1% to 396,040 TEUs.
The September results contributed to a positive performance for the year so far. The Port of Long Beach handled 7,675,255 TEUs in the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 3.9% over the same period in 2025.
Terminal reports track rail volumes
Hacegaba mentioned Total Terminals International for its September results. The facility recorded 59,410 rail moves for the month, a monthly record for rail activity at the Port of Long Beach.
The rail operations accounted for close to half of the terminal’s total container volume and highlight the significance of inland transportation to the port’s growing throughput.
Extended gate hours ahead of bridge closure planned
The port announced an incentive scheme to provide more flexibility for truckers ahead of a large infrastructure project that will affect access to the neighboring Port of Los Angeles, along with its record results.
Caltrans will begin work Nov. 7 on a 16-month project to replace the deck on the Vincent Thomas Bridge. Long Beach container terminals will add evening and Saturday gate hours for six weeks starting in late October to help operators cope with the disruption. No extended hours will be offered on Thanksgiving week.
The measure is intended to provide trucking companies with more opportunities to move containers while bridge work continues. The Port of Long Beach expects its own operations to remain fully open during the project, though the construction will be at the adjacent Port of Los Angeles.
The September figures show the port’s capacity to accommodate a substantial rise in container movements, while still running smoothly, with traffic approaching the one million TEU mark per month.
