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.

　　XINHUA-CHINA DAILY