Los Angeles Port Sees 19% Decline in Imports as Tariff Impact Deepens

Citing data from Bloomberg, the volume of imports at the U.S.’s busiest port has dropped by 19% compared to last month, largely due to the ongoing effects of tariffs imposed during President TrumpS management.

“Things are quite sluggish here during this time of year,” remarked gene Seroka, executive Director at the Port of Los Angeles, in a press briefing on June 13. He expressed concerns that American businesses are grappling with elevated tariffs and uncertainty just as we enter what is usually a bustling season for retail.The repercussions could soon be evident on store shelves.

“We’ve already missed out on summer fashion trends and need to pivot our focus toward back-to-school items and Halloween before gearing up for the crucial holiday season,” Seroka added. “The cargo needed for these upcoming events should ideally be arriving now; however, I don’t see sufficient inventory levels.”

This decline in port activity coincides with importers and retailers—particularly those reliant on Chinese goods—navigating through the murky waters created by trade tensions. In April alone, tariffs on Chinese products soared as high as 145%, impacting shipments that would have departed Asian ports in May.

While there might potentially be a slight uptick in imports as businesses rush to stock up following a temporary agreement between the U.S. and China aimed at reducing some tariff rates, many companies still find these levies prohibitively expensive.

In May alone, cargo handlers at Los Angeles processed around 717,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), with approximately 356,000 being imports—a notable drop not only from last month but also down by about 9% compared to May last year.

The export figures were equally concerning; they fell below 120,000 containers for six consecutive months when compared year-on-year due to retaliatory tariffs imposed by other nations targeting U.S.-made agricultural and manufactured goods.

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