US Port Container Throughput Statistics 2026

The answer to "which US ports move the most containers?" depends on the comparison period. The latest nationally comparable BTS table is a 2023 benchmark. Newer 2026 figures are available from individual port authorities, but they are monthly or year-to-date snapshots and should not be merged into the annual ranking.

US port container throughput statistics

The BTS Port Performance Freight Statistics Program says its Top 25 U.S. Ports by TEUs dashboard contains annual data from 2022 and 2023. Its technical documentation defines throughput for identifying the top container ports from loaded domestic and foreign inbound and outbound containers; empty containers are omitted from that top-25 selection. The public dataset presents foreign imports, foreign exports, and domestic fields, so the benchmark below reports those displayed fields summed as a port-level total. That distinction matters when reconciling it with an authority's monthly total.

Key Stats

Key Takeaways

• The BTS benchmark shows a concentrated top tier: New York and New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Long Beach each exceeded 6 million TEUs in the published 2023 table.
• The next tier includes Savannah at 4,329,915 TEUs, Houston at 3,252,557, and Virginia at 2,861,864 in the same benchmark.
• June 2026 releases show active movement rather than a final national ranking: Los Angeles exceeded 1 million TEUs in one month, while Houston reported 2.23 million TEUs through the first half.
• A port number is a defined observation, not a forecast of a company's receiving schedule. Warehouse teams still need appointment, chassis, rail, drayage, and inventory records.

Comparable annual benchmark across major ports

The following table uses the 2023 BTS dataset fields and keeps the arithmetic visible. It is a benchmark for relative scale, not a 2026 estimate.

New York and New Jersey leads this displayed 2023 benchmark, with Los Angeles and Long Beach close behind. The result does not mean that one gateway leads every month or that ports use identical operating boundaries in their own releases.

What changed in the 2026 snapshots?

The Port of Los Angeles reported 1,002,734 TEUs in June 2026, up 12.37% from June 2025, and 5,122,603 TEUs through June. Its release separates loaded imports, loaded exports, and empty containers. A total can rise because import demand, export flows, or empty-equipment repositioning changed by different amounts.

Port Houston reported 389,962 TEUs in June 2026 and 2,229,473 TEUs through June, up 3% year over year for the first half. Its public-terminal measure is not the same as the BTS national benchmark, even when both use TEUs. Treat it as a current local operating snapshot.

The BTS program page documents a monthly TEU dashboard with traffic direction and full/empty status for the top ten container ports. It lists data through March 2026 at the time of its April 2026 update. The release date and filter settings should be recorded with every extract.

Operational meaning for distribution teams

Port throughput is a signal about the volume crossing a defined gateway. It can support review of drayage appointment capacity, transload labor, yard space, rail handoffs, and receiving calendars. It cannot tell a distribution executive how many containers will arrive at a specific facility next week.

For a practical review, pair the port observation with booked containers, estimated arrival dates, terminal availability, chassis plans, rail status, and appointment capacity. A documented freight coordination checklist keeps those handoffs tied to source records. A 3PL provider evaluation guide helps structure questions about visibility, exception ownership, and escalation boundaries when outside support is involved.

Definitions, revisions, and limits

TEU is a counting unit based on a nominal 20-foot container. A port authority may report loaded and empty containers, while a ranking methodology may omit empty containers or use a statistical port boundary. Census trade data describes merchandise trade and may not map one-for-one to terminal lifts. USACE waterborne commerce data reports foreign and domestic waterborne movements and provides annual container traffic by port or waterway; its monthly indicators are modeled estimates that are superseded by actual data as available.

The 2026 numbers on this page are dated observations, not a forecast. Before comparing ports, record the source, release date, reference period, port boundary, traffic direction, and whether empty containers are included. If a source revises a value, preserve the earlier review date and update the comparison rather than silently replacing it.

Data sources and methodology

Fifteen authoritative sources were reviewed on 2026-08-02. The first sources establish the comparable benchmark and current authority snapshots; the remaining sources provide definitions, trade context, and release controls. No 2026 national annual total was inferred from partial-year data.

1. BTS, Top 25 Container Ports by TEU dataset (opens in a new tab)
2. BTS, Port Performance Freight Statistics Program (opens in a new tab)
3. BTS, 2026 Port Performance Freight Statistics Annual Report (opens in a new tab)
4. BTS, Port Performance technical documentation (opens in a new tab)
5. USACE, Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center (opens in a new tab)
6. Port of Los Angeles, 2026 container statistics (opens in a new tab)
7. Port of Los Angeles, June 2026 release (opens in a new tab)
8. Port Houston, June 2026 monthly report (opens in a new tab)
9. U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade Data (opens in a new tab)
10. USITC, DataWeb (opens in a new tab)
11. MARAD, Port Infrastructure Development Program (opens in a new tab)
12. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, trade data (opens in a new tab)
13. Federal Reserve, FRED transportation and trade series (opens in a new tab)
14. BLS, transportation and warehousing data (opens in a new tab)
15. World Bank, Logistics Performance Index (opens in a new tab)

Frequently asked questions

What is the current US port throughput measure?

There is no single current figure for every comparison. BTS provides a nationally consistent benchmark and monthly dashboard; port authorities provide local monthly and year-to-date releases. The latest comparable annual table used here is 2023.

Which ports are largest in the benchmark?

New York and New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Long Beach are the top three in the displayed 2023 BTS table. Savannah, Houston, and Virginia form the next group in the ten-port comparison above.

Is Los Angeles above one million TEUs in 2026?

Yes. Its port authority reported 1,002,734 TEUs in June 2026. That is one month's total and should not be treated as a full-year run rate.

How should operations managers use these figures?

Use them to frame capacity and exception questions, then validate against booked moves, terminal status, drayage capacity, rail plans, and warehouse appointments. Do not turn a national or port-level aggregate into an unsupported staffing or inventory forecast.

Related Reading

For adjacent freight context, review the research library's related capacity and transportation statistics after confirming each page's verification date.