Freight News, Logistics, Sea

Port of Long Beach Sees Second-busiest July

[ August 13, 2026   //   Gary Burrows ]

The Port of Long Beach handled 928,508 TEUs in July, its second-busiest July on record and fourth-highest monthly volume overall, despite a 1.7 percent decline from a year earlier.

Imports were nearly flat, slipping 0.1 percent to 467,461 TEUs, while exports increased 14.8 percent to 104,843 TEUs. Empty-container movements fell 7.4 percent to 356,205 TEUs.

Through July, Long Beach handled 5.76 million TEUs, up 1.2 percent from the first seven months of 2025.

Long Beach Adds Clean-Air Measures

The Port of Long Beach approved three new clean-air strategies, including US$40 million in funding with the Port of Los Angeles for a regional zero-emissions truck-charging network.

The measures also expand green-ship incentives to encourage calls by cleaner oceangoing vessels and establish additional incentives for deploying zero-emissions trucks.

Long Beach currently has 102 truck charging stations on port, with another 92 expected to enter service later this year. The new funding would extend charging infrastructure beyond the San Pedro Bay port complex to locations across Southern California.

The measures expand a cooperative agreement reached last year by Long Beach, Los Angeles and the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The first phase of broader zero-emissions infrastructure plans is expected in spring 2027.

Long Beach commissioners approved the measures unanimously Aug. 10 following approval by the air-quality district Aug. 7. Los Angeles harbor commissioners are scheduled to consider them Aug. 13.

Brandes Moves to Long Beach from Oakland

Bryan Brandes has joined the Port of Long Beach as chief commercial officer and managing director of commercial operations, moving from the Port of Oakland, where he had served as director of maritime since 2020.

Brandes will lead Long Beach’s Commercial Operations Bureau, which includes business development, tenant services, information management and security.

The 30-year industry veteran previously served as director of U.S. West Coast operations for CMA CGM and spent two decades with A.P. Moller-Maersk and APM Terminals, ultimately serving as director of California inland operations.

Brandes succeeds Casey Hehr, who was named the port’s chief administrative officer in March. He joined Long Beach Aug. 10.

Reaffirming 2050 Infrastructure Goals

New Long Beach Harbor Commission President Steven Neal said the port will continue to prioritize major infrastructure and clean-energy projects as it pursues its goal of doubling annual container volume to 20 million TEUs by 2050.

Among the projects is the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, which is designed to triple the port’s on-dock rail capacity and reduce rail dwell times from four days to 24 hours.

Neal, who began his one-year term as commission president Aug. 10, also cited Long Beach’s recent partnership with the U.S. Maritime Administration to explore standards for potential use of nuclear energy in port operations.

Tags: Port of Long Beach, Port of Oakland