The busiest trade hub in the U.S. moved more containers last month than in any previous January, as importers rushed to bring in goods before widely anticipated tariff hikes from President Donald Trump.

“This January milestone adds to a great run of strong volume, with the last seven months averaging more than 927,000 container units,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said at a February 19 press conference. 

Cargo handlers moved a total of 924,245 containers in January, Seroka said, an 8% increase over the same period last year.

Import containers at the Port of Los Angeles came in at 483,831 TEUs, or 20-foot equivalent container units, a 9.5% increase compared to last year, while exports saw a 10.5% decrease from 2024.  

“We’ll be closely monitoring these numbers, especially in light of ongoing discussions regarding tariffs,” Seroka said. “It’s crucial to American manufacturers and our agriculture communities that we take every possible measure to boost U.S. exports.”

The port moved 327,143 empty containers last month, a 14% jump compared to last year, which “normally indicates more cargo coming in the weeks and months ahead,” he said.

Next door at the Port of Long Beach, dockworkers moved 952,733 TEUs last month, making it the strongest January ever and second-busiest month on record. Imports jumped 45% to 471,649 TEUs and exports rose 14% to 98,655, according to port data. 

The boost was driven largely by retailers moving cargo ahead of expected moves by the Trump administration to hike duties on goods from China, Mexico and Canada, according to the port.

Looking Ahead

Seroka said he’s anticipating trade numbers to dip in February — in part thanks to the Lunar New Year holiday that affected Asian factories from late January into early February — though he expects volumes to stay elevated over the next few months.

“In the short term, I’m hearing that front-loading strategies will continue for some importers,” Seroka said. “However, trade may ease in the second half of the year, just given the volume of cargo that has already been shipped.”