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The Port of Los Angeles said its cargo volume fell sharply last month, with May being the slowest in more than two years, and it has grown for the 10th straight month compared to the previous year.
The port processed 716,619 container units in May, down 5% from the previous year and 19% from April.
Officials attributed to a slowdown over uncertainty over new tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on wider imports earlier this year.
“Unless we reach a long-term, comprehensive trade agreement soon, there may be fewer higher prices and less choices during the end of the year holiday season,” Port Executive Director Jeanseroca said in a media briefing on Friday. “The uncertainty created by the rapidly changing tariff policy has caused difficulties for consumers, businesses and the workforce.”
Imports fell 9% compared to May last year, totaling just under 356,000 units. Exports fell by 5%, with around 120,000 units being shipped overseas. The number of empty containers increased slightly to over 240,000, up 2% in 2024.
Despite the May decline, total cargo volume for the first five months of 2025 has increased by 4% from the same period last year.
File – The ship will be equipped with containers at the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, on April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Damiando Burgergen, File)
The Port of Los Angeles is one of the most important import gateways in the world, shipping and receiving more containers than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere. In 2024, the port generated $33.3 billion in trade as it processed more than 10.3 million container units.
A decline in port productivity can have a major impact on the country.
Ernie Tedesci, director of economics at Yale’s Budget Lab, joined Celoka at a briefing, warning that toll tariffs could rob consumers.
“The tariffs increase the average price by 1.5%, a loss of purchasing power of around $2,500 per household per year,” he said, adding that low-income families are expected to feel the biggest hit.
Trump’s trade policy, enacted under the emergency powers granted by the 1977 law, includes a sweep of tariffs on imports from almost all countries, along with targeted taxes on countries such as China, Canada and Mexico.
The federal court of appeals recently allowed the administration to continue collecting obligations while legal challenges progress.
Click here to see the Friday media briefing from the Port of Los Angeles.
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