The busiest port complex in the US is now handling import volumes nearly as high as during the pandemic, despite concerns about a cooling economy.
The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which handle about a third of all U.S. container imports, had their third-strongest month ever in July, just shy of the record set in May 2021, as a surge in incoming consumer goods bottlenecked onshore supplies and the line of cargo ships waiting for a berth at sea grew longer by the day.
Demand is now being driven by retailers and other importers stocking up in preparation for U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods and a potential strike by a large group of U.S. dockworkers, adding to the usual rush of pre-holiday orders that occurs at this time of year.
