# Empty-container share by US port The empty-container share of monthly box volume at each tracked US port, May 2026, in TEU, from the port authorities via BTS _Data through May 2026 · source last checked Jul 28, 2026 · page revised Jul 26, 2026_ > Empty containers were 28.4% of all box moves across the tracked US ports in May 2026. Long Beach had the highest empty share at 36.1%. A high empty share reflects trade imbalance and carrier equipment repositioning, not congestion. Empty containers were 28.4% of all box moves across the nine tracked US ports in May 2026. ## The numbers | Port | Empty share | Loaded-import share | Loaded-export share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Long Beach | 36.1% | 50.7% | 13.2% | | New York/New Jersey | 33.8% | 50.8% | 15.4% | | Los Angeles | 33.7% | 53.5% | 12.8% | | Charleston | 27.6% | 48.4% | 24.0% | | Savannah | 24.1% | 50.8% | 25.1% | | Seattle/Tacoma | 20.3% | 51.5% | 28.1% | | Virginia | 16.5% | 50.6% | 32.9% | | Oakland | 14.8% | 46.6% | 38.5% | | Houston | 14.6% | 49.7% | 35.7% | | All 9 tracked ports | 28.4% | 50.9% | 20.6% | ## About Empty-container share by US port This page shows the empty-container share of monthly box volume at each tracked US port: empties as a share of the three container streams the port authorities report, loaded imports, loaded exports and empties, all in TEU. An empty container is a box moving with no cargo in it, repositioned by the carrier to where the next load is, so a high empty share is a read on trade IMBALANCE and equipment flow, not on congestion. A West Coast import gateway that takes in far more loaded boxes than it sends back out has to move the difference back overseas empty, so its empty share runs high; an export-leaning port fills more of its outbound boxes and shows a lower empty share. It is a structural feature of a trade lane, not a delay: nothing here says a box with a high empty share sat longer or moved slower. For how long import boxes actually sit, see the Los Angeles import-container dwell page; for the demand ranking, see the busiest-ports page. The shares are computed from the port authorities' own monthly container statistics, republished by BTS, and each port's three shares sum to 100%. ## About this data - Source: Port authority monthly container statistics, republished by BTS - Series: Empty containers as a share of loaded imports, loaded exports and empties - Basis: Trade-imbalance / equipment-repositioning read, not congestion - Geography: The tracked US container ports - Unit: percent - Calculation period: Monthly - Last observation: May 2026 - Update frequency: Monthly --- Cite: Empty-container share by US port as of May 2026: Long Beach highest at 36.1% empty (monthly TEU, via BTS; a trade-imbalance read, not congestion; The Dwell). The Dwell. https://the-dwell.com/empty/us-container-ports Canonical URL: https://the-dwell.com/empty/us-container-ports