The Port of Los Angeles (POLA) ended 2025 with strong cargo volume growth. That was the word from POLA Executive Director Gene Seroka at the 11th annual “State of the Port,” which was hosted by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association.
For calendar year 2025, POLA handled 10.2 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent) TEU containers, marking the third highest total in the port’s 118 years of operation, and also only the third year in which total yearly volume topped the 10 million TEU mark. The 2025 tally was off 0.56% annually.
For the month of December, POLA cargo volume came in at 791,587 TEU, for a 14.1% annual decrease. Imports, at 424,498 TEU, were down 7.9% annually, and exports, at 108,074 TEU, fell 2.18%. Empty containers, at 259,014 TEU, saw a 26.0% annual decline.
In his remarks, Seroka noted that every record set and every bar raised is a direct result of the dedication and commitment of the people who make POLA work.
“Cargo remains the lifeblood of the U.S. economy,” he said. “American farmers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers all depend on how well we move that cargo.”
To that end, Seroka explained that future cargo demand is playing a key role in the port’s “Building Bigger and Build Smarter” initiative, focusing on POLA investments in infrastructure, technology, community, and the environment.
A key POLA infrastructure project cited by Seroka is the proposed Pier 500 Marine Container Terminal, which he said would be the first new container terminal to be developed at POLA in a generation.
“We envision a bold expansion: 200 acres and 3,000 linear feet of wharf space to create vital new capacity,” he said. “In October, we released a Request for Proposals to evaluate the interest and feasibility. The beauty of this project? Much of the underwater foundation is already complete, thanks to the foresight of our Port staff more than two decades ago. They saw what we would need. And they built for it. Now, with cargo demand expected to grow in the decades ahead, we have a readymade opportunity right in front of us.”
And he added that POLA envisions it to be the greenest and cleanest terminal in the world, helping to expand the port’s capacity to handle next-generation cargo ships, improving both efficiency and sustainability—and create new jobs on the docks and across the supply chain, too.
Another high cargo-related priority for POLA, cited by Seroka, is the Marine Support Facility, which POLA is developing on 80 acres of underutilized land in the middle of Terminal Island.
“Now in the design stage, it will serve as a dedicated hub for chassis parking and maintenance, as well as container pick-up and drop-off,” he said. “Think of it as a pressure relief valve during peak cargo periods, keeping containers from stacking up on terminals. It’ll also improve operations for drivers and terminals alike, and help freight flow smoothly through America’s Port.”
Other infrastructure initiatives Seroka addressed include:
- on-dock rail expansion is underway;
- POLA is in final discussions with Fenix Marine Terminal to develop 40 acres currently sitting vacant on the east side of the terminal; and
- plans to issue an Environmental Impact Report for the LA Til Container Terminal in the West Basin, which would upgrade wharf and rail to accommodate larger ships
Addressing technological achievements at POLA, Seroka pointed to Wabtec’s Port Optimizer, which he said has been delivering real-time insights to thousands POLA’s partners for nearly a decade, coupled with the addition of new tools like The Signal, which tracks all imports headed to the Port with a three-week window—and providing visibility no other U.S. port has.
He also highlighted POLA’s Universal Truck Appointment System, which has already improved gate usage by 20% for the 20,000 trucks that serve POLA.
“Our truckers are seeing real benefits in reduced wait times and better route selection,” said Seroka.
