Trump's tariffs "roar", cargo volume at the Port of Los Angeles drops by 30% in early May.

Due to President Donald Trump's tariff policies suppressing trade activities, the inbound cargo volume at the busiest container hub in the United States, the Port of Los Angeles, plummeted 30% in early May. Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, said, "The decrease in container numbers means a decrease in terminal operations, affecting everything from labor teams responding to cargo demand, to truck drivers and warehouse workers. This impact was almost immediately apparent in the first week of May." The decline in port activities coincided with importers and retailers (especially those with business dealings with China) responding to Trump's tariff policy announced in early April. Prior to this, importers rushed to get their goods to the United States before the tariffs were imposed to avoid them. According to the port's statement, the Port of Los Angeles handled approximately 843,000 standard containers (TEUs) last month, an increase of 9.4% from April last year. Seroka pointed out that as other countries responded with retaliatory tariffs, U.S. exports have declined for the fifth consecutive month in April, especially agricultural products and manufactured goods from the U.S.-China Agricultural Power Group. The temporary agreement reached between the U.S. and China last week to reduce tariffs for 90 days may help reverse some of the declines. Seroka stated that as importers gradually deplete the inventory stored in warehouses during the high tariff period, freight volume may rebound in June and July. However, Seroka warned that the tariff levels are still high and trade policies are uncertain, making freight volume predictions still very challenging. He revealed that out of the 80 shipments planned for this month, 17 have already been cancelled, and an additional 10 are expected to be cancelled next month. The Port of Long Beach, which shares the San Pedro Bay with the Port of Los Angeles, is also preparing for a decrease in freight volume after experiencing its busiest April on record. Last month, Long Beach handled 867,493 standard containers, a 15.6% increase year-on-year. Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, stated in a declaration last week, "After becoming the largest port in the U.S. in terms of cargo volume in the first quarter of 2025, we expect imports in May to decrease by more than 10% - this impact will extend beyond the terminal." The Port of Oakland announced on Monday that trade uncertainty and declining export demand have affected the port, with a total cargo volume of 185,499 standard containers handled in April, a 14.7% decrease from March 2025.