# Los Angeles and Long Beach Set New Container Records **Category:** Industry News | **Source:** Port of Los Angeles / FreightWaves / International Transport Journal | **Published:** 2026-10-21 | **Updated:** 2026-10-23 **Tags:** Logistik News, Transport News, Fracht News, Speditions News, Supply Chain News, Zoll News, Frachtportal News, Seefracht, Schienentransport, Digitalisierung, Zoll > Los Angeles and Long Beach together handle over two million TEU in September 2026. For shippers, planning onward transportation is now critical. --- The two major container ports on the US West Coast have just completed a record month. Los Angeles handled a total of 1,042,652 TEU in September 2026 – the highest monthly volume in the port's 118-year history. Long Beach reached 997,177 TEU, an increase of 25 percent compared to the same month last year, and also the highest monthly volume in its history. Combined, the two figures total 2,039,829 TEU. TEU stands for "Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit," a unit of measurement equivalent to a 20-foot container. A 40-foot container equals two TEU. The sum should therefore not be read as the number of individual boxes handled. At Long Beach, loaded imports rose to 509,390 TEU (up 31.3 percent year-over-year). Loaded exports reached 91,747 TEU (up 7.8 percent). This was supplemented by significantly more empty containers (up 22.1 percent to 396,040 TEU). Overall throughput and imported cargo volume are thus different metrics. For European and Swiss freight forwarders with US business, these records are reason to carefully coordinate onward transportation. A high monthly figure says little about how quickly a specific container leaves the terminal. According to FreightWaves and the International Transport Journal, Long Beach reported no congestion despite record volumes. A blanket warning about overcrowded ports would therefore be premature. In practice, the dispatcher should verify before the container's arrival whether it will continue by truck or rail, who has confirmed the order, and whether customs clearance is in place in time. With multiple service providers, there must be clear responsibility for the handover. Time frames should also be included in the order. Demurrage simply means charges if a container remains in the terminal too long. Detention refers to late return outside the terminal. Which conditions apply must be verified for the specific booking. Those who clarify these points only after discharge waste valuable time unnecessarily. --- Book and confirm the on-carriage together with the ocean freight. Clarify with the consignee whether the warehouse can accept goods at the planned delivery date. Coordinate the pickup window, available time slots, and empty container return. The record figures do not provide a reliable freight rate outlook. Current quotations and their terms are decisive for rate calculation. Disposition should therefore regularly monitor the status at the respective terminal. In short: The ports are handling record volumes; what remains critical is ensuring that your own container arrives in good condition for onward transportation. --- - Reporting month is September 2026 - Los Angeles: 1,042,652 TEU total throughput, highest monthly value in the port's 118-year history - Long Beach: 997,177 TEU total throughput, also a monthly record - Long Beach grew compared to September 2025 by 25 percent - Combined total of both ports: 2,039,829 TEU - Long Beach: 509,390 TEU loaded imports (plus 31.3 percent) - Long Beach: 91,747 TEU loaded exports (plus 7.8 percent) - Long Beach: 396,040 TEU empty containers (plus 22.1 percent) - According to FreightWaves and ITJ, Long Beach reported no congestion despite record volume ## Related Entities ### Countries - [United States of America](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/land/us) ### Seaports - [Los Angeles (US LAX)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/los-angeles-port-us-lax) - [Long Beach (US LGB)](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/long-beach-port-us-lgb) ### Glossary - [Booking](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/booking) - [Arrival](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/arrival) - [Demurrage](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/demurrage-2) - [Detention](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/detention-2) - [On-carriage](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/on-carriage) - [Empty Container](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/empty-container-2) --- *Canonical URL: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/los-angeles-und-long-beach-schaffen-neue-containerrekorde-20261019065232](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/news/los-angeles-und-long-beach-schaffen-neue-containerrekorde-20261019065232)* *Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/los-angeles-und-long-beach-schaffen-neue-containerrekorde-20261019065232](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/news/en/los-angeles-und-long-beach-schaffen-neue-containerrekorde-20261019065232)*