[Stay on top of transportation news: .]
March Imports Down 1% at Southern California Twin Ports
Iran War Adds Pressure and Uncertainty to Global Supply Chain
The stream of imported goods through Southern California’s twin ports fell about 1% last month compared to the year before, as the Iran war adds pressure and uncertainty to the global supply chain.
“The Port of Long Beach led the nation as the busiest container port for the month of March,” the port’s CEO Noel Hacegaba said April 15. “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.”
The San Pedro Bay port handled nearly 375,000 import containers in March, a slight 1.5% decrease over the same month last year when importers rushed to bring goods in ahead of tariffs.
Hacegaba noted while March’s cargo volumes likely don’t reflect the 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.
Dockworkers at the Long Beach port handled nearly 775,000 20-foot-equivalent units, or TEUs, about 5% less than last year, Hacegaba said. Exports rose slightly to more than 100,000 TEUs. And empty containers declined 11% to 296,000.
'This one has some ripple effects and implications that go well beyond what we saw during covid of port congestion here in Southern California.' Gene Seroka, the executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, explains how the Strait of Hormuz blockade could impact what you buy. — The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN)
Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles processed 752,520 TEUs last month, a 3% decrease compared to last year, according to port data. Loaded imports were 380,733 TEUs, just 1% lower than last year. Export containers totaled 132,129, an increase of 7% over 2025, and the port handled 239,658 empty container units, 11% less than last year.
The energy shock from the Iran war is manifesting itself most acutely invessel fuel pricesthat have doubled since the U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iran started Feb. 28, Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka told Bloomberg TV this week. That was followed by Tehran’s retaliatory strikes against infrastructure in Gulf states and the near-end of traffic through Hormuz, though there’s a currently a ceasefire.
A less-direct yet mounting problem facing U.S. imports is playing out at ports in China, India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, where containers bound for the Mideast are piling up in Asia’s trade gateways until they can be rerouted to their original destination.
“If this cargo continues to pile up in these locations, it may just simply get in the way of cargo that’s more fluid like that coming to and from the United States,” Seroka said.
