The first quarter of the year was the second busiest in the Port of Long Beach history. From January to March, the port moved 1.8 million TEUs of cargo. This significant cargo volume is second only to the first quarter of 2018, which was the busiest first quarter in port history. The strong activity is a reflection of the strong economy, even as some sentiment is shifting around the economy.

“Our trade is always a reflection of the consumer-driven U.S. economy. The dollar is strong, we're experiencing one of the longest periods of growth in history and unemployment is low,” Mario Cordero, executive director at the Port of Long Beach, tells GlobeSt.com. “The demand for goods has been resilient.”

Warehouses are having trouble keeping up with the increased cargo volumes. Industrial vacancy rates are at record lows already, and the increased cargo volumes put more impact on the market. “It's fair to say that warehouses have been bursting at the seams with cargo shipped early to beat anticipated tariff hikes,” says Cordero. “As a seaport, we are not really seeing impacts because the supply chain has become adept at managing inventory. For example, ocean carriers are limiting their capacity by having at least 11 skipped or voided voyages in March.”