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Los Angeles
United States
USLAX
No Data
K+N Status
AIS limited in region
K+N24 Mar 2026
Updated 13m ago

Port Intelligence — What freight teams need to know

LA's D&D charges are among the highest in the world — average bills exceeding $3,000/container during congestion. Since Sep 2022, the Port of Long Beach eliminated weekend exemptions from free time calculation. The chassis shortage remains structural: terminal operators and BCOs use chassis as de facto warehousing, reducing available chassis pool. FMC's new billing practices rules shifted burden of proof on D&D reasonableness to carriers, but rates haven't dropped.

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Customs Reality at Los Angeles
4d
Published free time
3d
Effective free time

Free time starts at 3:00 AM after container leaves vessel. Weekends no longer excluded at Long Beach (since Sep 2022). FDA prior notice required 15 days before food arrival. USDA inspections for animal/plant products.

Demurrage: $200/TEU/day · Detention: $100/TEU/day

Common Rejection Reasons

  • FDA Prior Notice not filed or filed late — mandatory 15 days before arrival for food imports
  • USDA APHIS permit missing for plant/animal products
  • Fumigation requirement for wood packaging material (ISPM 15)
  • FDA PREDICT system flagging — historical non-compliance triggers automatic DWPE (may proceed) or detention

Known Holds

All food imports
FDA Prior Notice required via PNSI (Prior Notice System Interface). Late or missing PN triggers automatic hold.
File FDA Prior Notice at least 15 days before arrival. Verify ACE/ABI entry data matches PN exactly.
Fresh produce from specific origins
USDA APHIS cold treatment or fumigation requirements for pest control
Verify if your commodity/origin requires cold treatment. If so, ensure reefer temperature was maintained at required level for required duration during transit — must be documented.
Cold Chain Reality at Los Angeles
Mitigation:Pre-arrange chassis through your own pool agreement, not terminal pool. For USDA cold treatment cargo: verify temperature data logger before attempting customs clearance — if chain of custody is broken, entire shipment may be rejected.
Failure point:Terminal — chassis availability for gate-out
Significance:Critical — primary US gateway for Asian perishable imports
Primary failure mode:Chassis shortage. After discharge, reefer containers need a chassis to leave the terminal. During chassis shortages, reefers sit on terminal burning demurrage and potentially losing plug priority as terminal manages limited power infrastructure.
Reefer plug availability:Varies by terminal. Can be tight during peak volume.
Alternative Ports to Los Angeles

If disruption makes Los Angeles unviable for your cargo

Long BeachUSLGB
Save $0/TEU
1 nm away+0h wait
Works for: Same complex, shared infrastructure. TTI at Long Beach.
Not for: Not really an alternative — same labor pool, same chassis market, same congestion dynamics.
OaklandUSOAK
+$200/TEU
380 nm away12h less wait
Works for: NorCal consignees. Generally less congested.
Not for: SoCal consignees — 380nm north.
SavannahUSSAV
+$300/TEU
4500 nm away+24h wait
Works for: US East Coast via Suez. Avoids West Coast labor risk.
Not for: West Coast consignees. Much longer transit.

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Live AIS Vessels

AIS coverage limited at this port. The free AIS tier has restricted coverage in some regions, particularly mainland China ports and parts of the Middle East.

Terminal Intelligence
APM Terminals (Pier 400)
Operator: APM/Maersk
Typical wait: 1d
Largest single container terminal in North America.
TraPac (Pier A)
Operator: TraPac/Mitsui
Typical wait: 1d
Gate fee of $50 as of July 2025.
Yusen Terminals
Operator: NYK
Typical wait: 1d
Standard operations.
Everport (Pier A5)
Operator: Evergreen
Typical wait: 1d
Standard operations.
Recommendation: Terminal assignment is carrier-dependent. Check gate fee schedules — TraPac's $50 gate fee is an added cost. All terminals use eModal for demurrage payment.
Money Traps at Los Angeles
US highest D&D rates globally
Average D&D bill $2,670-3,000+ per container during congestion. NY/NJ even higher. Rates escalate steeply: $200+/TEU/day common.
Pre-arrange trucking, chassis, and warehouse before vessel arrival. File customs entries early. Clear containers within free time.
Chassis shortage as hidden cost
When chassis aren't available, containers sit on terminal accumulating demurrage. No chassis = no gate-out, regardless of customs status.
Use dedicated chassis pool agreements. Avoid relying on free/pool chassis during peak periods.
Gate fee (TraPac $50, others vary)
Per-container terminal gate fees on top of all other charges.
Factor into landed cost calculation.
Weekend free time elimination at Long Beach
Since Sep 2022, Saturdays and Sundays count toward free time at POLB. This effectively reduces free time by ~30%.
Plan pickups assuming no weekend exemption.
Seasonal Patterns
Jul-Oct (Peak import season)
Pre-holiday import surge. Chassis shortages worsen. Dwell times spike.
Front-load imports before peak or secure dedicated chassis and warehousing.
ILWU contract periods
ILWU labor disruptions — ongoing risk. Slowdowns and work stoppages affect all West Coast ports.
Monitor ILWU-PMA negotiations. Diversify to East Coast/Gulf ports.

Sources

Port status: Kuehne+Nagel Port Operational Update

Port intelligence: CargoPilot curated research

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