The Port of Los Angeles is on track to handle 10 million containers in 2025, marking only the third time in its history to reach this volume, according to Port Executive Director Gene Seroka. In a recent media briefing, Seroka stated, “With six weeks to go, we are within reach of the 10 million container unit-mark for the year.”
Container throughput for the first ten months of 2025 is up 2% compared to the same period last year, with the port handling 8.6 million TEUs, Seroka said.
Sea-Intelligence examined laden import volumes through September 2025 across major North American West Coast ports. As reported in Sea-Intelligence’s November 12 press release, the data showed that Canadian ports outperformed their U.S. counterparts.
“The Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert saw 2025-Q3 growth that was broadly consistent with their 2017-2019 pre-pandemic averages,” said Alan Murphy, CEO of Sea-Intelligence.
In a September statement, Peter Xotta, President and CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, noted that the Port of Vancouver recorded a 13% increase in cargo moved year-over-year for the first six months of 2025. “Containerized trade—like the Canadian economy—has shown remarkable strength and resilience so far this year in the face of U.S. tariffs and global uncertainty,” he said.
Sea-Intelligence’s data also revealed that the Northwest Seaport Alliance – a partnership between the ports of Seattle and Tacoma – experienced the largest loss in market share. Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles grew its market share “from 35.3% in 2025-Q1 to 38.0% in 2025-Q3”, according to the data.
Looking ahead, Seroka expects total volumes to soften in November and December compared with last year. “This year, we’ll expect a seasonal slowdown in the 10-15% range compared to 2024,” he said, noting that last year’s figures were exceptionally high. The reason, Seroka said, was due to importers pulling forward shipments to avoid anticipated tariff increases and potential port fees. The port fees have since been deferred for 12 months.
Source: Port of Los Angeles, Sea-Intelligence, Port of Vancouver