Long Beach port logs record shipments in April, expects big drop-off for May

After reporting record-high cargo volume in April, Port of Long Beach officials anticipate May shipments coming into the port in May will show a double-digit decline due to the ongoing tariff war.

Despite the highest tariffs being put on pause, consumers will feel the effects of the tariffs as fewer shipments of goods enter the port this month.  Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said in a press release. The expected May decline follows 11 months of cargo growth, he said.

“After moving the most containerized cargo of any American port in the first quarter of 2025, we are now anticipating a more than 10% drop-off in imports in May – and the effects will be felt beyond the docks," he said. 

The port moved 867,493 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in April, up 15.6% from April 2024, and surpassed the previous record set in April 2022 by 5.7%, port officials said. Imports rose 15.1% to 419,828 TEUs, and exports decreased 4.5% to 93,842 TEUs.

Empty containers moving through the port rose 23% to 353,824 TEUs. The port has moved 3,404,069 TEUs during the first four months of 2025, a 23.6% increase form the same period in 2024.

Pacific Harbor Line serves both the Port of Long Beach and the Port of Los Angeles, and  connects the ports to the national rail network.