Southern California ports see lower but steady shipments amid Iran war

Investing.com - The Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles reported slightly decreased cargo volumes in March, with the Iran war adding pressure to global supply chains.

The Port of Long Beach handled nearly 375,000 import containers in March, a 1.5% decrease from the same month last year. The port processed nearly 775,000 TEUs, about 5% less than last year, CEO Noel Hacegaba said Wednesday.

"The Port of Long Beach led the nation as the busiest container port for the month of March," Hacegaba said. "All terminals remain open and there are no direct impacts to operations, but the war in the Middle East continues to add uncertainty for global supply chains."

Hacegaba noted that March’s cargo volumes likely don’t reflect the full impact of the Iran war yet. Some goods are now being rerouted through Los Angeles area seaports and via air freight. When ships get rerouted to avoid conflict zones, costs go up, he said.

"Continued instability in the Strait of Hormuz will keep pressure on energy prices and by extension, consumer prices," Hacegaba said.

At the Port of Long Beach, exports rose slightly to more than 100,000 TEUs, while empty containers declined 11% to 296,000.

The Port of Los Angeles processed 752,520 TEUs last month, a 3% decrease compared to last year. Loaded imports were 380,733 TEUs, 1% lower than last year. Export containers totaled 132,129, an increase of 7% over 2025. The port handled 239,658 empty container units, 11% less than last year.

The combined stream of imported goods through the twin ports fell about 1% last month compared to the year before.

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