The products that are exported and imported through Los Angeles are as varied as the number of airlines and nations served. More than 1,000 flights depart and arrive every day carrying cargo. More than half of the air cargo at LAX arrives and departs in the bellies of passenger aircraft. This allows airlines serving LAX to offer some of the lowest airfares to travelers.
More than 50 percent of LAX air cargo activity is international in origin or destination. An estimated 79 percent of the region's air cargo is handled through LAX.
Shippers will find the most broadly based selection of airlines of any U.S. airport. Every major international air carrier serving the Pacific calls at Los Angeles, while European and Latin American air carriers fully serve LAX as well.
The most exported air commodity in terms of tonnage from LAX is vegetables, fruit and nuts with 15.1 percent of the total weight. Other leading exports are base metals and articles thereof; computer equipment; photo, science and medical instruments; paper and pulp products; chemical products; plastics and articles thereof; prepared foodstuffs; special classification provisions; and aircraft products.
Apparel is the leading imported air cargo commodity, followed by computer equipment, audio and video media, fish, office machinery, textiles, footwear, vehicles other than railway, photo, science and medical instruments and electronic components.
Japan accepts over 70,033 tons of LAX's exports annually valued at $4.1 billion. United Kingdom is next with 32,404 tons nations valued at $2.2 billion annually. Other leading nations buying U.S. exports shipped through LAX are Taiwan, Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Germany, and Mexico.
China leads all nations in importing through LAX. Other Pacific Rim nations such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand find LAX a prime port of entry. The other nations in the top 10 are Australia, Germany, and Indonesia.