The Port of Oakland handled 185,499 TEUs (twenty-foot containers) in April, marking a 14.7% decrease in overall cargo volume from March 2025. The slowdown is driven by market uncertainty as well as softening demand in exports—both influenced by recent shifts in U.S. trade policy.
Despite the dip for the month of April, total volume for the first four months of 2025 reached 787,028 TEUs handled, which still registered 4.3% growth overall compared to the same period last year.
Full imports totaled 78,965 TEUs in April 2025. Although imports for April 2025 were still 4.8% higher compared to April 2024, they declined 10.2% from March.
The March 2025 uptick of 9.1% over February, which brought full imports to their highest monthly total of the year at 87,896 TEUs, was driven by market anticipation of new tariffs to be announced by the administration. With 45% of Oakland’s imports sourced from China, the formal announcement and implementation of new duties in early April are expected to affect inbound flows starting more significantly in May.
Full exports dipped 4.2% year over year, with the Port processing 64,723 TEUs in April 2025, compared to 67,566 TEUs in April 2024. Loaded exports saw a 15% decrease from March 2025’s 76,157 TEUs. The decrease in exports was caused by market uncertainty.
Although only 7% of Oakland’s exports go to China, market uncertainty abroad—including concerns about retaliatory tariffs and shifting demand—appear to be influencing booking behavior, particularly for agricultural and food products. Despite the overall decline in volume, key segments— especially refrigerated commodities—remain resilient. Oakland’s cold chain capacity continues to hold a competitive advantage during the spring export season.
Empty container volume in both directions declined. Empty imports dropped 11.7% year-over-year in April 2025 and 22% from the previous month. The Port processed 14,438 TEUs in April 2025, in contrast to 16,351 TEUs in April 2024 and 18,542 TEUs in March 2025. Empty exports decreased by 6.8%. The Port handled 27,374 TEUs in April 2025, compared to 29,375 TEUs in April 2024. This decrease in volume reflects the strategic repositioning of equipment to efficiently balance cargo flows.