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The Port of Los Angeles (USLAX) is the busiest container port in the United States and the primary West Coast gateway for Philippine made apparel, uniforms, and merchandise entering North America. This guide covers its seven major container terminals, the Alameda Corridor rail expressway, CBP customs entry under port code 2704, LAX air cargo, and realistic ocean transit from Manila, Batangas, Cebu, and Davao.
The Port of Los Angeles occupies about 7,500 acres of land and water with 43 miles of waterfront in the San Pedro and Wilmington neighborhoods of Los Angeles, roughly 20 miles south of downtown. It opened on 9 December 1907, and it adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach across San Pedro Bay. Together the two ports form the largest container complex in the Western Hemisphere.
In 2025 the port handled 10,239,318 TEU, its third strongest year on record and its 26th consecutive year as the busiest container port in the United States. The value of cargo moving through the port reached about US$333 billion in 2024. Apparel is consistently one of its top import categories alongside furniture, automobile parts, footwear, and electronics, which is why the port matters to Philippine garment exporters and to buyers placing private label and OEM orders.
The port operates seven major container terminals and six intermodal rail yards, with direct access to the Alameda Corridor. The terminal a shipment berths at is confirmed on the carrier booking, not chosen by the shipper.
The largest container terminal in the Western Hemisphere. Pier 400 handled 3.25 million TEU in 2025, a 62 percent increase since 2023, and runs the fastest average truck turn time in San Pedro Bay at 39 minutes.
One of the largest terminals in the port, operating on Pier 300 adjacent to the deep sea channel. Fenix is the CMA CGM group terminal on the West Coast and is a frequent call for transpacific services from Asia.
Spans 232 acres at Berths 212 to 224 north of the Vincent Thomas Bridge along the East Basin Channel. Its lease was extended for three more decades in 2026 with a US$200 million commitment to zero emission cargo handling equipment.
A semi automated container terminal at Berths 136 to 147 on the west basin, known for automated stacking cranes and on dock rail. It is a common destination for trans loaded and regional Asian services.
A 205 acre facility at Berths 226 to 236 on the east basin, handling Evergreen line cargo and other services. It offers on dock rail and is a steady call for transpacific loops moving consumer goods and garments.
West Basin Container Terminal (WBCT) is a multi user facility split into two berth groups, China Shipping at Berths 100 to 103 and LA TiL at Berths 121 to 127. LA TiL covers 186 acres across two berths and is operated by Terminal Investment Limited.
Berth ranges, operators, and the distinguishing capability of each of the seven major container terminals.
| Terminal | Berths | Operator | Area | Distinguishing Capability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APM Terminals Pacific | 401 to 406 | APM Terminals | 484 acres | Largest terminal in the Western Hemisphere, 19 ship to shore cranes, fastest truck turn time in the bay |
| Fenix Marine Services | 302 to 305 | Fenix Marine Services | Pier 300 | Deep sea channel access, CMA CGM group terminal, high volume transpacific calls |
| Yusen Terminals | 212 to 225 | Yusen Terminals LLC | 232 acres | East Basin location north of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, zero emission equipment program |
| TraPac | 136 to 147 | TraPac | West Basin | Semi automated yard with automated stacking cranes and on dock rail |
| Everport Terminal Services | 226 to 236 | Everport Terminal Services | 205 acres | East Basin facility serving Evergreen and allied transpacific services |
| WBCT China Shipping | 100 to 103 | West Basin Container Terminal | West Basin | Multi user berth group for ocean carrier alliances |
| WBCT LA TiL Terminal | 121 to 127 | Terminal Investment Limited | 186 acres, two berths | MSC group terminal with on dock rail and reefer capacity |
Container terminals at the Port of Los Angeles provide on dock and near dock rail. The Pacific Harbor Line short line railroad moves blocks to the Alameda Corridor, a 20 mile express railway that connects the port to the downtown Los Angeles rail hubs without crossing a single street at grade.
How containers move from a Los Angeles berth to distribution centers across California and the United States.
The Pacific Harbor Line switches cars between the marine terminals and the Alameda Corridor. The corridor is a 20 mile rail expressway with grade separations that moves double stack trains to the downtown Los Angeles rail yards owned by BNSF and Union Pacific, from where they run to the Midwest, Texas, and the East Coast.
Rail is usually faster than truck for anything beyond about 500 miles. Typical planning bands from a Los Angeles ramp are two to three days to Chicago, three to four days to Dallas, and four to six days to the East Coast. Truck drayage serves the local Southern California warehouse market, typically within a day of gate release.
Transit bands are planning estimates and depend on carrier space and ramp congestion.
Direct and transshipment options connecting Philippine export terminals to the Port of Los Angeles.
| Philippine Load Port | Routing | Port to Port Transit | Typical Arrival Terminals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manila (MICT / South Harbor) | Direct transpacific line haul | 20 to 26 days | APM Terminals, Fenix, TraPac, Everport |
| Batangas | Feeder to Manila or Kaohsiung, then transpacific | 24 to 30 days | WBCT, Yusen Terminals |
| Subic Bay | Feeder to transshipment hub, then transpacific | 24 to 30 days | WBCT, Fenix |
| Cebu (CIP) | Transshipment via Manila or Hong Kong | 24 to 32 days | TraPac, Everport |
| Davao (DICT, Panabo City) | Feeder to Singapore, Kaohsiung, or Busan, then transpacific | 26 to 34 days | APM Terminals, Fenix |
The lane is served by Maersk, CMA CGM, Evergreen Marine, Ocean Network Express, COSCO Shipping, Hapag Lloyd, MSC, Yang Ming, and SM Line. Feeder connections from Mindanao and the Visayas connect at Manila, Kaohsiung, and Busan. All ranges above are port to port and exclude production lead time.
Apparel entering through Los Angeles clears US Customs and Border Protection under Schedule D port code 2704. The importer of record, or a licensed customs broker acting for the importer, files entry in the Automated Commercial Environment.
The seaport of Los Angeles is CBP port code 2704, filed in the port field of CBP Form 7501. Los Angeles International Airport is port code 2720 and the adjoining Port of Long Beach is 2709. Apparel is classified under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, most often in Chapters 61 for knitted garments and 62 for woven garments.
US most favoured nation duty on apparel is commonly 16.5 percent for cotton knitted shirts and can rise above 30 percent on many man made garment lines. There is no free trade agreement between the Philippines and the United States, so Philippine made garments do not receive a preferential rate, and the Generalized System of Preferences has lapsed. The exact rate follows the ten digit HTS line on the entry.
The Section 321 de minimis exemption of US$800 per person per day has been suspended for all countries since 2025. Low value shipments that once cleared duty free now require a formal entry, a ten digit HTS classification, and payment of duty. Importers who relied on parcel level clearance should plan for full entry processing.
Garments must carry a permanent label with fibre content, country of origin, and care instructions under Federal Trade Commission rules. CBP also enforces the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, so importers should hold supply chain traceability documents from yarn to finished garment and be ready to answer a detentions request.
Additional trade action tariffs have applied to Philippine goods in recent years, including a reciprocal rate announced in July 2025 that has since been revised through further trade measures. Rates change. Treat every figure on this page as a planning input and confirm the current duty and tariff position with a licensed US customs broker before pricing an order.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) sits about 20 miles from the seaport and is the fifth busiest US airport by cargo tonnage. It handled about 2.40 million tons of cargo in 2024, up about 2 percent on 2023, across three cargo areas with 27 buildings covering roughly 2.6 million square feet. LAX clears under CBP port code 2720.
Air freight suits sample runs, replenishment of fast selling lines, and high value or time sensitive consignments. Air transit from Ninoy Aquino International Airport to LAX is about 2 to 5 days door to door, against several weeks by sea. The trade off is cost, which is many multiples of the ocean rate per kilogram.
| Mode | Typical Transit | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean FCL | 20 to 34 days port to port | Bulk garment orders, full container loads, private label runs |
| Ocean LCL | Add 5 to 10 days for consolidation | Smaller trial orders and mixed cartons |
| Air freight via LAX | 2 to 5 days | Samples, replenishment, and time sensitive high value goods |
Garments leaving a tropical Philippine port and crossing a cold North Pacific can suffer container rain, the condensation that forms on steel container ceilings and drips onto cartons. Export grade packaging prevents the damage.
Hanging pole desiccants placed on container wall recesses absorb moisture vapour before it can condense. Calcium chloride units pull well over their own dry weight in water and are sized to the voyage length.
Each master carton gets a sealed inner poly liner, and individual garments are packed in micro perforated poly bags. The liner blocks drips, while the perforation lets the garment breathe inside the box.
Five ply Kraft cartons carry the burst strength needed for double stack rail and container vibration. Carton markings state the order, size breakdown, and destination DC for fast receiving.
Palletised consignments use ISPM 15 heat treated wooden pallets in the 48 by 40 inch grocery standard, machine stretch wrapped with corner protectors so a US warehouse can unload with a forklift the moment the container is grounded.
Cut and sew production, pre production sample sign off, care and content labelling, and a final AQL 2.5 inspection before packing.
Philippine export declaration and Bureau of Customs processing at the load port, then container loading and a clean on board bill of lading.
Twenty to thirty four days at sea depending on the load port and routing, arriving at a Port of Los Angeles berth for discharge.
CBP entry under port code 2704, duty payment, release to the consignee, then on dock rail via the Alameda Corridor or local drayage to the destination.
Goods moving to Los Angeles often start at a Philippine port that already has the depth, cranes, and frequency to feed the transpacific lane. Two Mindanao facilities in particular now anchor that flow for exporters in the south.
DICT at Panabo City, Davao del Norte, is one of the most modern container terminals in the Philippines and the only port in Mindanao that can handle Panamax and larger vessels. It runs a 730 metre berth at an average 15 metre draft at the fender line, extended to 930 metres with a fifth berth completed in 2025, served by two Panamax and two larger quay cranes and a modern terminal operating system. It is a member of the ANFLOCOR group.
HSEZ in Tagum City pairs a PEZA proclaimed special economic zone with Hijo International Port, a deep water facility on a 13 metre draft with two berths at Barangay Madaum. Together they offer cold chain and container handling, automated food processing, a TIEZA tourism zone, and a solar supported power grid, giving southern Philippine exporters a deep water gateway that feeds straight into the transpacific services bound for Los Angeles.
The UN/LOCODE is USLAX, used on carrier bookings and bills of lading. The CBP Schedule D port of entry is 2704, filed in the port field of CBP Form 7501. Los Angeles International Airport is port code 2720 and the adjoining Port of Long Beach is 2709.
There are seven major container terminals: APM Terminals Pacific at Berths 401 to 406 on Pier 400, Fenix Marine Services at Berths 302 to 305, Yusen Terminals at Berths 212 to 225, TraPac at Berths 136 to 147, Everport Terminal Services at Berths 226 to 236, and the two West Basin Container Terminal berth groups at Berths 100 to 103 and 121 to 127.
Direct transpacific service from Manila is about 20 to 26 days port to port. Feeder origins such as Batangas, Subic Bay, and Cebu add time for transshipment, typically 24 to 32 days, and Davao via DICT runs about 26 to 34 days. Custom production takes three to six weeks after sample and artwork approval and is separate from the sailing.
The importer of record, or a licensed customs broker acting for the importer, transmits entry data through the Automated Commercial Environment and files CBP Form 7501 under port code 2704. Each line is classified to a ten digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule code, most often in Chapters 61 and 62 for garments. CBP releases the container on payment of duty.
Philippine made garments enter at the US most favoured nation rate, which is commonly 16.5 percent for cotton knitted shirts and above 30 percent on many man made lines, because there is no free trade agreement between the two countries and the Generalized System of Preferences has lapsed. Additional trade action tariffs have also applied in recent years and the rates change, so confirm the current duty with a licensed customs broker before you price an order.
No. The Section 321 de minimis exemption has been suspended for all countries since 2025. Shipments valued at or below US$800 that once entered duty free now require formal entry, a ten digit HTS classification, and payment of duty.
Yes. LAX is the fifth busiest US airport by cargo tonnage and handled about 2.40 million tons in 2024, clearing under CBP port code 2720. Air transit from Manila to LAX is about 2 to 5 days door to door and is used for samples, replenishment, and time sensitive consignments.
FOB Manila or Davao, CFR Los Angeles, and CIF Los Angeles are the usual terms, with payment by bank transfer, letter of credit, or international card through the methods in our Modes of Payment guide. The agreed Incoterm determines which side arranges the ocean leg, the entry, and the inland delivery.
Send your garment type, quantity, sizes, decoration method, target delivery date, and destination city. The export desk will respond with routing options and a freight indication.
