LOS ANGELES — With China accounting for about 55 percent of trade at the Port of Long Beach and roughly 40 percent of business at the neighboring Port of Los Angeles, stable relations between Washington and Beijing are not an abstract diplomatic concern for the two busiest container ports in the United States.
That deep trade linkage means shifts in US-China ties can quickly ripple through cargo flows, jobs, consumer supply chains and investment across Southern California, according to the heads of the two ports.
"Stable and constructive relations between the US and China are important to the global economy, to US consumers and businesses, and to the reliability of international supply chains," Noel Hacegaba, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, said.
The two ports, located side by side in San Pedro Bay, form the largest container gateway in the US and anchor a vast logistics network of dockworkers, truckers, warehouses, railroads, retailers and exporters.
China has been Long Beach's largest trading partner by cargo volume for decades and now accounts for about 55 percent of the port's imports and exports, Hacegaba said.
He described Long Beach as "a vital link in the Pacific trade corridor", connecting Chinese manufacturers and exporters with US consumers, businesses and distribution networks, while also serving as a gateway for California goods headed to China.
At the Port of Los Angeles, ties with China are similarly deep. Gene Seroka, the port's executive director, said China accounts for approximately 40 percent of its business, more than two and a half times that of its next largest trading partner.
"China remains a critically important trading partner for the Port of Los Angeles, and our long-standing relationships with Chinese ports have opened the door to cooperation that goes well beyond moving cargo," Seroka said.
Trade with China remains central to both ports. A more stable bilateral relationship would help protect cargo flows, jobs and consumer supply chains. China is also one of the leading export markets for California goods, Hacegaba said.
Beyond cargo volumes, the ports are expanding cooperation with Chinese counterparts in areas including cleaner shipping, digitalization and supply-chain resilience.
Seroka cited work with the port of Shanghai, as well as the port of Guangzhou and, more recently, Shenzhen, in Guangdong province, on green shipping corridors and other initiatives aimed at cutting emissions and making global trade more efficient and resilient.
"These port-to-port partnerships are a good example of how practical cooperation can deliver meaningful benefits on both sides of the Pacific," he said.
As the Port of Los Angeles handles more than 10 million twenty-foot equivalent units annually, while the Port of Long Beach processed a record 9.9 million TEUs in 2025, the scale of the two ports underscores the wider economic stakes.
Together, they handled about 31 percent of US containerized international waterborne trade in 2025 and supported 2.4 million jobs nationwide.
China-US trade rose 5.5 percent year-on-year to $400.84 billion during the January-to-August period, while China's imports from the US grew 3.4 percent year-on-year, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.
China's expanding import market continues to offer opportunities for US companies despite shifts in global trade and persistent bilateral economic tensions, according to a new report released in Los Angeles that examines changes in US exports to China and the broader impact of the China International Import Expo.
(Source: China Daily)