In a recent online media briefing, Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Officer Noel Hacegaba affirmed that large-scale rail infrastructure will play an increasingly decisive role in sustaining the competitiveness of ports such as Long Beach, as a growing number of companies advance the diversification of their overseas sourcing and production networks.
In a recent online media briefing, Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Officer Noel Hacegaba affirmed that large-scale rail infrastructure will play an increasingly decisive role in sustaining the competitiveness of ports such as Long Beach, as a growing number of companies advance the diversification of their overseas sourcing and production networks.
Hacegaba noted that Southeast Asian trade market share continues to climb, with Vietnam now established as the Port of Long Beach's second-largest trading partner. He outlined the port's largest active construction project - the on-dock rail facility at Terminal B - a development that, upon completion, will effectively offset the extended transit times associated with vessel calls originating from Southeast Asia.
Describing the rail programme as an indispensable component of the port's ambition to become a "Port of the Future," Hacegaba set out Long Beach's target of doubling annual container throughput to 20 million TEUs by 2050. Speed to market, he emphasised, is central to the port's competitive positioning, and intermodal capability will determine its long-term trajectory. With multimodal freight presenting a clear growth opportunity, the port is directing its full efforts toward converting that opportunity into sustained operational momentum.
Hacegaba also offered context for the port's record-breaking cargo volumes in August, attributing the performance to a combination of tariff-driven cargo frontloading and constraints on Panama Canal transits. Terminal workers and operators at the Port of Long Beach collectively processed 919,992 TEUs last month - the highest August total on record - representing a 2% increase compared with August 2025.
Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission President Steven Neal underscored the significance of the achievement. The port's sustained record-setting throughput, he indicated, reflects both its unwavering commitment to customer service and the depth of its established reputation as a leading global maritime gateway.
For the month of August, the Port of Long Beach recorded import volumes of 456,100 TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%, while exports reached 99,754 TEUs, up 4% over the same period. Empty container movements totalled 364,138 TEUs, a marginal decline of 0.39%. Across the first eight months of 2026, cumulative throughput reached 6,678,078 TEUs, advancing 1.3% against the prior-year period - a trajectory that affirms the port's position as a foundational node in the architecture of global trade.
