Port of Long Beach on Track for Historic 10 Million TEU Year

The Port of Long Beach is projected to surpass 10 million TEU in annual throughput for the first time in its history, following a record-breaking September that saw the gateway handle 997,177 TEU. The performance marks the port’s busiest month ever and cements a trajectory that has seen 7.8 million TEU moved in the first nine months of the year, a 3.9% increase over 2023.

Port of Long Beach CEO Noel Hacegaba attributed the surge to a combination of shippers front-loading imports to avoid USTR 301 port fees on Chinese-owned vessels and cargo diversions from the Panama Canal. While the deadline for those fees has been postponed to January 9, the port expects another wave of front-loading in the fourth quarter as beneficial cargo owners (BCOs) race to beat the new cutoff.

The Shift Toward Ultra-Large Vessel Intensity

The record volumes are being driven by a significant upscaling of vessel capacity on transpacific strings. MSC recently deployed 24,000 TEU vessels, including the MSC Nela and MSC Arina, on its standalone Sentosa service to the Total Terminal International (TTI) facility. These vessels, which significantly exceed the service’s typical 18,500 to 19,500 TEU average, are performing 100% discharge and 100% loading operations.

This concentration of cargo represents a fundamental shift in terminal operations. Rather than spreading volume across multiple smaller calls, the port is managing massive, single-vessel exchanges that test the limits of landside connectivity. Currently, 50% of TTI’s inbound containers leave the port by rail, highlighting the critical role of intermodal infrastructure in sustaining record-breaking throughput.

Hinterland Constraints and Labor Monitoring

The port is preparing for significant logistical friction starting November 7, when the Vincent Thomas Bridge begins a 16-month closure for refurbishment. To mitigate the impact on truck movements, the port and terminal operators are launching a six-week pilot program to offer additional gate hours on Friday evenings and Saturdays. This pilot may be extended if it successfully offsets the bridge-related disruption to hinterland cargo flows.

Operational stability also remains tied to ongoing labor negotiations. The port is monitoring talks between ILWU Local 26 and the Pacific Maritime Association regarding terminal watchmen. While port-wide security provided by the Harbor Patrol and Long Beach Police Department remains unaffected, any localized industrial action could impact terminal-specific security and cargo fluidity during the final push toward the 10 million TEU milestone.

Source: The Loadstar