Cargo flow at the Port of Los Angeles remains consistent despite the ongoing military conflict between Iran and the U.S., Executive Director Gene Seroka said during a March 12 media briefing.
“The purchase orders for the spring, spring fashion, summer fashion and some inventory replenishment are not being canceled right now,” he said.
The port processed 824,323 twenty-foot equivalent units in February, up 3% year over year. However, March cargo volumes may drop due to the usual slump that follows the Lunar New Year celebrations in Asia, Seroka said. Looking ahead, April will likely see a rise in volumes as retailers begin their replenishment cycles.
The consensus from customers over the last few weeks is that the 2026 outlook looks flat, with no expected dramatic swings, Ron Widdows, CEO of chassis leasing service provider FlexiVan Leasing, said during the briefing. Unless the situation in the Middle East progresses to something that really “becomes much more serious than what you see today,” that outlook will continue.
