New analysis from Sea-Intelligence shows that while U.S. West Coast ports saw declining volumes in Q2 2025, the Port of Los Angeles bucked the trend, gaining 2.8 percentage points of market share, primarily from its neighboring rival, the Port of Long Beach.
In its analysis in issue 728 of the Sunday Spotlight, maritime data analysis firm Sea-Intelligence has pointed to a significant divergence in performance among U.S. West Coast ports amid a sharp decline in laden import volumes in Q2 2025. Most notable was a major market share shift within the San Pedro Bay port complex, where the Port of Los Angeles (LA) emerged as a strong performer.
Market Context: From Boom to a Deep Slump
The U.S. West Coast market experienced a pronounced “bullwhip effect.” Following a boom period driven by importers front-loading shipments in Q1 2025, the market saw a sudden reversal with a severe decline in May and June.
However, this downturn did not impact all ports equally. The data reveals a clear divergence in cargo volumes between the neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Divergence in Performance
The Port of Long Beach (LB), which had led the boom with an impressive +45.0% year-over-year growth in January, subsequently suffered a severe reversal and a sharp decline in June.
In contrast, the Port of Los Angeles (LA) completely bucked the overall negative trend. In June, a month when every other major West Coast port was deep in negative growth, the Port of Los Angeles recorded a robust import volume growth of +9.7% year-over-year.
Meanwhile, the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) of Seattle and Tacoma experienced the most severe “bullwhip” effect, with volumes dropping from a staggering +34.7% growth in January to a deep slump of −27.3% in June.
A Strong Market Share Shift to the Port of Los Angeles
The difference in performance during the downturn directly led to a major shift in market share between the two San Pedro Bay ports.
The Port of Los Angeles was the only West Coast port to increase its market share in Q2 2025, capturing an additional +2.8 percentage points of laden import share. This gain came almost entirely at the expense of the Port of Long Beach, which saw its market share fall by −2.2 percentage points from Q1 to Q2. This indicates that the Port of Los Angeles not only maintained its stability but also successfully capitalized on the market volatility to strengthen its leading position.
Source: Phaata.com (According to Sea-Intelligence)
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