Sea-Intelligence: Port of Los Angeles Expands Market Share Amidst Gloomy US West Coast Picture

In issue 740 of the Sea-Intelligence Sunday Spotlight report, analysts delved into laden import volume throughput at major North American West Coast (NAWC) ports throughout the first three quarters of 2025. The analysis revealed a significant divergence in handling volumes: while Canadian ports maintained performance in line with pre-pandemic benchmarks, all major US West Coast ports recorded worse-than-expected performance.

Against the backdrop of this region-wide underperformance, the Port of Los Angeles succeeded in solidifying its position, capturing a larger slice of the total NAWC market.

A Stark Divergence: Canada Stable, US Lags Behind

Specifically, the Canadian ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert saw growth in Q3 2025 generally in line with pre-pandemic averages from the 2017-2019 period.

Conversely, all major Californian ports and the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA) — the partnership between the ports of Seattle and Tacoma — performed below historical benchmarks, with the NWSA recording the largest negative decline. This divergence was the direct driver of the market share shifts noted in the report.

San Pedro Bay Complex Consolidates Power

The data shows how this differential performance impacted individual port market shares of total NAWC laden imports over the first three quarters of 2025. The figures indicate a significant consolidation of market share into the San Pedro Bay port complex. The complex's combined share rose from 68.9% of NAWC laden imports in Q1 2025 to 70.7% in Q3 2025.

 Source: Sea-Intelligence

Los Angeles: The "Sole Winner"

Notably, this overall increase was driven entirely by the Port of Los Angeles. The port expanded its individual market share from 35.3% in Q1 2025 to 38.0% in Q3 2025.

This surge partially offset a decline at its neighbor, the Port of Long Beach, which saw its share dip from 33.6% in Q1 to 32.7% in Q3.

The most consistent loss of market share was recorded at the NWSA, falling quarter-on-quarter (Q/Q) from 8.9% in Q1 to 7.5% in Q3 2025. The Port of Oakland also witnessed a steady but smaller decline, from 6.9% in Q1 down to 6.3% in Q3 2025.

See more:

• CMA CGM Launches TVI Service Directly Connecting Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia with Southeast India and Sri Lanka
• HD Hyundai Merges Shipbuilding Units to Spearhead Global Market Leadership
• Frankfurt Airport Joins Pharma.Aero: A Strategic Handshake to Fortify the Global Pharma Supply Chain
• Price Fixing Allegations: South African Competition Commission Refers 8 Major Shipping Lines to Tribunal
• Suez Canal Container Traffic Plummets Despite Signals of Red Sea Return
• International Shipping and Logistics Market Update Week 48/2025 | Phaata
• WorldACD: Asia-US Air Freight Rates Rise for 6th Consecutive Week
• CMA CGM Restarts Russia Service via CNC Line
• IATA: October Hits Record Volumes, Supply Chains 'Restructure' Amid US Tariff Pressure
• COSCO schedules: Vietnam - North America in Dec 2025
• SITC updates Vietnam-Intra Asia sailing schedules in Dec 2025
• WorldACD: The 2025 Peak Season Paradox – Global Air Freight Rates Rise Despite Falling Volumes

Source: Phaata.com (According to Sea-Intelligence)

► Find Better Freight Rates & Logistics Service Providers!