Who’s America’s Second Busiest Container Port?

Certain reports in the national media earlier this month echoed a boast made in a press release issued by the Port of New York/New Jersey (PNYNJ) that the big East Coast maritime gateway was the second busiest container port in 2025, with the asterix that the claim was based on the number of loaded TEUs handled.

We are happy to set the record straight. That PNYNJ claim turns out to be true. PNYNJ moved 5,955,798 laden TEUs in 2025, 35,126 TEUs more than the Port of Long Beach. However, in terms of total throughput of both loaded and empty TEUs, the cranes at Long Beach were more active. The 9,811,595 total TEUs that crossed the docks at the Port of Long Beach last year topped PNYNJ’s total volume by 984,064 TEUs. Meanwhile, the 10,239,318 TEUs that transited the Port of Los Angeles last year made it the nation’s busiest container port, by far.