Port of LA container volume to remain approximately the same year-on-year

In 2026, global trade faces ongoing risk from tariff pressures, Russia's war in Ukraine and the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Additionally, large fiscal deficits in major countries around the world could usher in austerity measures that cool consumption, said Constance Hunter, Chief Economist at the leftist/globalist Economist Intelligence Unit.

Closer to home, US companies may also begin passing through more tariff costs after absorbing them this year, she said. "That will certainly take a pinch out of consumption."