USWC Shares of Container Traffic through U.S. Ports in June 2026
The following two exhibits display the U.S. West Coast (USWC) ports’ share of the declared weight and value of containerized shipments through the nation’s ports at four key intervals over the past decade. The data presented here are derived from import/export documents filed with Customs and Border Protection.
Exhibit 4 reveals that USWC ports saw their collective share of the nation’s worldwide containerized import trade increase slightly from a year earlier in tonnage but decline in value as retailers continued to shift toward cheaper imported goods to meet the demand from consumers whose household budgets have been squeezed by soaring energy costs, a high rate of inflation (currently 3.5%), and higher grocery prices. Less affluent consumers have also been losing federal programs that had previously helped them better manage their food, medical, and housing needs.
As for containerized exports, the story was the reverse. USWC ports’ share of containerized export tonnage slipped from a year earlier, but their share of the value of those shipments rose smartly to 25.4% from 24.6%.
Exhibit 5, which focuses on U.S. containerized trade with East Asia, shows that the USWC share of containerized import tonnage dropped precipitously from a year earlier, while their share of the value of those imports likewise saw a sharp decline. The USWC ports also recorded a slight year-over-year drop in their share of containerized export tonnage to East Asian markets but a substantial gain in their share of the value of those shipments.
Short-term fluctuations notwithstanding, the USWC shares of the nation’s containerized maritime trade remains substantially below the levels achieved in pre-pandemic times. The numbers in both exhibits underscore the extent to which the USWC box trade has been consolidating at the two Southern California ports.
Ex. 4 USWC Ports Shares of Worldwide U.S. Mainland Container Trade
| Shares of U.S. Mainland Ports Containerized Import Tonnage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | June 2025 | June 2019 | June 2016 | |
| USWC | 36.3% | 36.2% | 38.4% | 41.9% |
| LA/LB | 28.3% | 27.7% | 27.5% | 30.8% |
| Oakland | 3.1% | 2.8% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| NWSA | 3.5% | 4.1% | 5.2% | 5.7% |
| Shares of U.S. Mainland Ports Containerized Import Value | ||||
| June 2026 | June 2025 | June 2019 | June 2016 | |
| USWC | 40.7% | 41.4% | 46.4% | 50.4% |
| LA/LB | 32.6% | 33.1% | 35.1% | 38.7% |
| Oakland | 2.9% | 2.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| NWSA | 4.3% | 5.0% | 6.9% | 7.4% |
| Shares of U.S. Mainland Containerized Export Tonnage | ||||
| June 2026 | June 2025 | June 2019 | June 2016 | |
| USWC | 29.5% | 30.3% | 36.7% | 41.7% |
| LA/LB | 18.2% | 17.7% | 21.7% | 24.6% |
| Oakland | 5.4% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| NWSA | 5.2% | 5.4% | 7.9% | 9.1% |
| Shares of U.S. Mainland Containerized Export Value | ||||
| June 2026 | June 2025 | June 2019 | June 2016 | |
| USWC | 25.4% | 24.6% | 32.1% | 34.4% |
| LA/LB | 16.2% | 15.9% | 20.8% | 22.6% |
| Oakland | 5.9% | 5.4% | 6.0% | 6.3% |
| NWSA | 2.8% | 3.0% | 4.5% | 4.9% |
Ex. 5 Major USWC Ports' Shares of U.S. Container Trade with East Asia
| Shares of U.S. Mainland Ports Containerized Import Tonnage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | June 2025 | June 2019 | June 2016 | |
| USWC | 55.1% | 59.1% | 57.2% | 61.5% |
| LA/LB | 45.8% | 48.2% | 44.3% | 47.9% |
| Oakland | 3.4% | 3.5% | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| NWSA | 5.1% | 6.6% | 7.7% | 8.4% |
| Shares of U.S. Mainland Ports Containerized Import Value | ||||
| June 2026 | June 2025 | June 2019 | June 2016 | |
| USWC | 64.5% | 67.5% | 66.7% | 68.3% |
| LA/LB | 53.3% | 55.3% | 51.8% | 53.0% |
| Oakland | 3.5% | 3.1% | 4.5% | 4.2% |
| NWSA | 6.7% | 8.0% | 9.8% | 10.8% |
| Shares of U.S. Mainland Containerized Export Tonnage | ||||
| June 2026 | June 2025 | June 2019 | June 2016 | |
| USWC | 52.8% | 53.0% | 58.9% | 62.5% |
| LA/LB | 33.9% | 31.9% | 36.5% | 38.3% |
| Oakland | 8.2% | 8.2% | 9.3% | 8.7% |
| NWSA | 9.6% | 9.9% | 12.8% | 13.4% |
| Shares of U.S. Mainland Containerized Export Value | ||||
| June 2026 | June 2025 | June 2019 | June 2016 | |
| USWC | 57.1% | 56.2% | 62.1% | 67.8% |
| LA/LB | 38.5% | 36.7% | 41.4% | 46.2% |
| Oakland | 10.9% | 11.4% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| NWSA | 7.1% | 7.8% | 8.6% | 9.5% |