Los Angeles imports keep sinking as East Coast gains more ground

The Port of Los Angeles reported yet another month of falling volumes on Tuesday, as the import pendulum continues to swing away from the West Coast and toward container shipping gateways on the East and Gulf coasts.

Los Angeles’ total throughput for October came in at 678,429 twenty-foot equivalent units, down 25% versus October 2021.

Imports totaled 336,307 TEUs, down 28% year on year.

It was the lowest October import tally since 2009 amid the global financial crisis and the lowest monthly imports since May 2020 at the height of the COVID lockdowns. This October’s imports were down 14% from October 2019 prior to the pandemic.

On a positive note, the huge month-on-month slide seen in Los Angeles in September has slowed. Imports fell 15% in September versus August. October’s imports declined only 7,155 TEUs (i.e., a single shipload) or 2% versus September.