Port of LA October cargo totaled 1,026,872 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the Port announced on Nov. 12. That is a record for the month and the second-highest total ever at the nation’s busiest container port.
September set the all-time monthly record, so October is the first time the Port has topped 1 million TEUs in back-to-back months. It is also the third month above that mark in 2026, another first. No other U.S. port has handled 1 million TEUs in a single month.
Port of LA October cargo: the numbers
Loaded imports reached about 538,620 TEUs. That is up 25% from October 2025 and 30% above the Port’s five-year October average. Loaded exports came to 114,981 TEUs, down 7% from a year earlier. Empty containers totaled 373,271 TEUs, a second straight monthly record, because ocean carriers are sending equipment back to Asia for more shipments.
A TEU is one 20-foot container, so a standard 40-foot box counts as two. From June through October, the Port handled nearly 5 million TEUs, its strongest five-month stretch. As of Nov. 14, 2026, the total for the first 10 months stands at about 9,108,497 TEUs. That is 5% ahead of last year and 9% above the five-year average.
Why volumes stay high
Executive Director Gene Seroka pointed to steady consumer spending, retailers restocking inventories, changes in trade policy and ongoing challenges on other global shipping routes. “Our customers are choosing Los Angeles for the speed, reliability and reach of our supply chain,” Seroka said in the Port’s release.
For residents, higher volumes usually mean more truck and rail trips through the harbor area. They also mean steady work for dockworkers, drivers and warehouse crews. Separately, talks involving ILWU Local 26 at the LA and Long Beach ports run through Nov. 20, as we covered in our earlier report on the extension.
The 2028 Games and what comes next
LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover joined Seroka at the same media briefing. They discussed preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, including the Port’s role as the Olympic sailing venue. The Port also continues investments along the LA Waterfront.
The Port reports each month’s numbers in the following month, so November figures should arrive in December. For more money and business coverage, see our money and business guide. Cargo data and past totals are on the Port of Los Angeles news release page.