Recently, the Port of Los Angeles, the largest container port in the United States, initiated a new container terminal development plan. The port has issued a Request for Interest, inviting relevant parties to participate in the pre-development work for the new terminal. The proposal submission deadline is January 29, 2026, and the port authority plans to select a winning bidder to sign a pre-development agreement.
The Port of Los Angeles currently has seven main container terminals and six intermodal rail yards. In 2021, the port’s throughput reached 10.7 million TEUs, setting a historical record, and it handled nearly 10.3 million TEUs last year.
Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, stated: “This is the first time in decades that the Port of Los Angeles has planned to build a new container terminal to meet future global supply chain demands. Constructing the most environmentally friendly terminal will enhance operational efficiency and sustainability, while creating job opportunities for the community.”
The project is located in a natural deep-water area at the southern end of Terminal Island. It will significantly improve port freight efficiency and can accommodate larger new-generation container ships. Currently, 24,000 TEU-class ultra-large container vessels are primarily deployed on European routes. Although the Port of Los Angeles has handled a small number of ultra-large vessels, its regular routes are still dominated by large vessels under 20,000 TEU.
According to the planning documents, the proposed terminal is named Pier 500. It is adjacent to Pier 400, covers an area of 200 acres (approximately 81 hectares), will add two berths, and have a quay line length of 3,000 feet (approximately 914 meters). Currently, Pier 400 is leased by APM Terminals, commenced operations in August 2002, is the largest container terminal at the Port of Los Angeles, and is the largest container port terminal in the Western Hemisphere. Pier 400 has five berths, a total area of 507 acres (approximately 205 hectares), and an annual throughput capacity of 4.4 million TEUs.
The pre-development process for Pier 500 will strictly follow the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, completing all necessary environmental assessments. The entire project, from pre-development, property acquisition, and environmental review to full completion and operation, is expected to take approximately ten years.
