# Empty-container share by US port The empty-container share of monthly box volume at each tracked US port, June 2026, in TEU, from the port authorities via BTS _Data through Jun 2026 · source last checked Sep 1, 2026 · page revised Aug 18, 2026_ > Empty containers were 29.9% of all box moves across the tracked US ports in June 2026. Long Beach had the highest empty share at 38.1%. A high empty share reflects trade imbalance and carrier equipment repositioning, not congestion. Empty containers were 29.9% of box volume across the tracked US ports in June 2026, driven by trade imbalance and carrier equipment repositioning. Long Beach posted the highest share at 38.1%. ## The numbers | Port | Empty share | Loaded-import share | Loaded-export share | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Long Beach | 38.1% | 50.6% | 11.3% | | Los Angeles | 34.5% | 52.9% | 12.6% | | New York/New Jersey | 34.4% | 50.7% | 14.9% | | Savannah | 26.2% | 50.0% | 23.8% | | Charleston | 24.4% | 48.8% | 26.8% | | Seattle/Tacoma | 22.1% | 52.4% | 25.4% | | Virginia | 19.0% | 48.4% | 32.6% | | Houston | 17.2% | 47.6% | 35.2% | | Oakland | 15.8% | 45.9% | 38.3% | | All 9 tracked ports | 29.9% | 50.5% | 19.6% | ## 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: Jun 2026 - Update frequency: Monthly --- Cite: Empty-container share by US port as of Jun 2026: Long Beach highest at 38.1% 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