The Port of Los Angeles remains a pivotal hub in U.S.-Asia trade, handling 10.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, marking its third-busiest year on record. Spanning more than 74,100 acres along 43.5 miles of waterfront, it has maintained its status as the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere for approximately 25 years. The port’s significance extends beyond cargo volume, serving as a critical physical and economic connection between Asian manufacturing centers, particularly China, and American markets.

China continues to be the port’s largest trading partner by cargo value, accounting for roughly $82 billion in 2025, followed by Vietnam and Japan at $48 billion and $45 billion respectively. However, the share of cargo linked to China has decreased from about 60% in 2018 to around 40% today, reflecting broader supply-chain diversification across Asia. This trend is echoed at the neighboring Port of Long Beach, where China’s trade share declined from roughly 70% in 2019 to 60% today.

Industry leaders note that while companies are expanding sourcing from other Asian countries, many are retaining longstanding relationships with Chinese suppliers. Lance Hastings, president and CEO of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association, emphasized that manufacturers are mainly broadening their sourcing rather than fully relocating production away from China. Similarly, Brian Dodge, president and CEO of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, underscored the desire among businesses for stable and predictable trade relations between the U.S. and China to facilitate long-term planning and pricing stability.

These economic ties gained renewed focus during the recent summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in late September. Eugene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, recalled Xi’s 2012 visit to the port when he was China’s vice president, highlighting the enduring importance of bilateral trade. Seroka stressed that ongoing dialogue remains crucial to sustaining supply-chain resilience and fostering cooperation beyond cargo movement, including in agricultural trade where shifting sourcing patterns illustrate the challenges of rebuilding commercial ties once alternative suppliers are established.

Beyond traditional shipping, U.S.-China collaboration at the ports has evolved to address environmental goals. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Shanghai Green Shipping Corridor, launched in 2022, is a partnership among the three ports, shipping lines, cargo owners, and city networks focused on reducing emissions and implementing low- and zero-carbon technologies along a key trans-Pacific trade route. Phase 1 objectives, including enhancing shoreside electricity use and deploying cleaner vessel technologies, were completed by January, with plans progressing toward low-carbon marine fuel bunkering.

Seroka indicated that these port-to-port collaborations are expanding to include Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, demonstrating how practical cooperation can yield mutual benefits. The trade lane linking Shanghai with Los Angeles and Long Beach moves over $300 billion in goods annually, underscoring the economic weight of this relationship.

At the centennial celebration of World Trade Week in Los Angeles in May, experts highlighted the broader value of international trade amid geopolitical tensions and supply-chain challenges. Peter Tirschwell, a maritime trade specialist, reinforced the view that trade fosters economic opportunity, interdependencies, and international cooperation, which remain essential in a changing global landscape.