America's Busiest Ports Issue ‘Dire' Warning Over Trump Tariffs
los angeles port. Container ships moored at the Port of Los Angeles in Los Angeles Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Damian Dovarganes/AP Photo
America's busiest ports are seeing a drastic decline in shipments as a result of President Donald Trump's tariffs, with significant implications for consumers as well as the U.S. logistics sector.
"We are at a point of inflection. It's kind of dire," Mario Cordero, Port of Long Beach CEO, told NBC on Monday. "What happens here is going to be an indication of what's going to occur in the supply chain. We have less vessel calls, less cargo now."
Why It Matters
The impact of Trump's tariffs on transpacific shipments is already expected to result in higher retail prices for foreign made goods, particularly those from China—still subject to a 145 percent import tax—and elicited warnings that shoppers could soon face empty shelves.
In addition, the reduction of goods arriving on U.S. shores has also raised concerns that this could have a serious consequences for global supply chains as well as America's supply chain-dependent industries.
What To Know
Cordero told NBC that the decline in traffic was reminiscent of the COVID-era disruptions. Similar circumstances are being felt at the neighboring Port of Los Angeles, where scheduled shipments are down 35 percent year-on-year this week, according to the Port Optimizer data platform.
The two ports, which together account for a significant portion of containerized imports to the U.S., have seen traffic decline nearly 50 percent, NBC reported, citing port officials.
"You could hear a pin drop," said Port of Los Angeles Director Gene Seroka last week. "It's very unusual."
Seroka told AFP that importers, especially those supplying the retail sector, had only enough inventory to cover the next five to seven weeks, and that the effect for American consumers would be "less choice and higher prices."
On Sunday, on an episode of Bloomberg Surveillance, Seroka said that this decline in shipments will also likely translate into job losses. "Every four containers means a job," he said. "So when we start dialing back, it means less job opportunity."
In addition to dockworkers, the impact of a sustained drop in shipments be felt by freight forwarders, warehouse employees, as well as truck drivers.
Import-related layoffs have surged since the beginning of April, with over 1,800 job cuts announced across the Southeast, according to supply chain-focused outlet FreightWaves.
What People Are Saying
Rudy Diaz, CEO of trucking company Hight Logistics, told NewsNation: "After six months, I would say we would be in pretty dire situations, and that's just us, and there are hundreds of companies like us who would most likely be in a similar situation, if not worse."
Port of Los Angeles Director Gene Seroka told AFP last week: "American importers, especially in the retail sector, are telling me that they have about five to seven weeks of normal inventory on hand today."
"Many retailers and manufacturers alike have hit the pause button, stopping all shipments from China," he added.
Former Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner Diane Middleton said impacts would be felt across the U.S., telling The Guardian: "One way or the other, cargo that comes in here goes to all 435 U.S. congressional districts."
Political economist Veronique de Rugytold Newsweek previously that a significant drop in transpacific shipments "means that a wide range of American industries—not just retail, but also manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and wholesale sectors—will feel the consequences."
She continued: "Most of what we import are inputs used in domestic production. It means higher costs for domestic companies. When fewer goods come in, truck drivers, dockworkers, warehouse employees, freight handlers, and even many small businesses that depend on imported inputs are directly at risk. Jobs tied to moving and selling goods, from logistics to last-mile delivery, will feel the pressure first."
Small business owner Beth Beniketold Newsweek last week that her inability to pay the new import taxes had left two to three months of inventory trapped in China.
What Happens Next
The administration has expressed optimism that it can soon reach a deal with China which would bring the tariffs on its imports down. While Beijing has repeatedly denied its interest in negotiating with the U.S., the country's foreign ministry on Friday said it was "evaluating" Washington's offer.
Related Articles
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 7:20 AM.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A MAGA Voter's Reddit Post Breaking Down 5 Reasons They'll Be Voting "All Blue" In The Midterms Is Going Viral
As of late, Donald Trump's MAGA base has NOT been happy with him. From his mishandling of the Epstein files to bombing Iran, Trump seems to be backtracking on many of his campaign promises, and his support, even from high-profile names, is slipping. A Reddit post by a MAGA voter has recently gone viral for breaking down five reasons why they are abandoning Trump and planning to vote blue in the 2026 midterms. Related: At the start of the post, the MAGA voter explained their last-minute decision to vote for Trump on Election Day... They described feeling that Trump "got his ass beat" by Kamala Harris in the presidential debate, but did not like that the DNC was "open to big corporations and corporate donors." Their decision to vote for Trump also was inspired by Trump joining forces with RFK Jr., which they felt could improve nutrition policies. "Nutrition is a huge thing for me..." Related: The MAGA voter also assumed that Trump could end the Ukraine/Russia war due to his close relationship with Vladimir Putin. "I felt Trump would calm down the Ukraine/Russia basically say 'stop this shit' and create a calmer world for us." But, according to the MAGA voter, everything went south with the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files. "Guy thinks we're stupid. He campaigns on the Epstein files, realizes he's on there and now is telling us to stop worrying about it." The White House has called the Wall Street Journal's claim that Trump was notified by the Attorney General that his name was in the Epstein files a "fake news story." Related: The MAGA voter also called out Trump's attempts to get rid of the Department of Education. "I know he brought this up during his campaign, but I thought he'd be sensible enough to work across the aisle with Democrats on this matter, but this is insane." They also called out Trump's "Big, Beautiful, Bill" that they described as "abhorrently terrible." As well as Trump's tariffs increasing costs for young people. "Wtf is this guy thinking other countries will pay more. We're the ones having to foot the cost." They took issue with Trump's immigration and deportation policies call them "messed up," because Trump has given ICE "free will to do whatever." Related: And finally, the post ended with a promise to abandon Trump in the midterms. "I will absolutely be voting all blue come the midterms and will be voting for a sensible democrat next election." After reading the post, most people in the comments were not exactly applauding the MAGA voter for their switch-up. "Wow, this is someone who even seems to have paid more attention than most, but also somehow discounted 99% of things Trump said he'd do. I just can't with that level of cognitive dissonance," one user said. "'She didn't have any ideas that I considered fresh and new, so I figured I may as well vote for the guy who babbled utter nonsense instead,'" another user wrote sarcastically, referencing the voter's comments on the presidential debate. "This sounds like a lot of people in my family's rationale for voting Trump, who should have had enough common sense to think things through. They'll never admit they're wrong and vote democrat though. At least this person realized they were wrong, albeit way too late," this user wrote. "They really give him too much credit thinking these pie in the sky thoughts that'd he abolish everything he said he would, and replace it all with something way better, which he never had a plan to do." What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds:
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U.S. slaps 20.56% anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood lumber
The U.S. Commerce Department has decided to hike anti-dumping duties on Canadian softwood to 20.56 per cent, with B.C. lumber organizations calling them unjustified, punitive and protectionist. The hiked softwood lumber duties come amid the growing trade war between Canada and the U.S., and represent the latest blow to B.C.'s beleaguered forestry industry. B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar described the long-awaited rate hike as a "gut punch" for B.C.'s forestry industry which has seen thousands of workers laid off over the last few years. "U.S. President Donald Trump has made it his mission to destroy Canada's economy, and there is no sector that has faced more of that than the forestry sector," he told CBC News. "This is a big deal for our workers. This is going to have a significant impact. It will lead to curtailments," he added. The B.C. government has been urging the federal government to prioritize the softwood lumber industry in trade discussions with the U.S., and Parmar said the hiked duties would also impact U.S. homeowners needing lumber to rebuild or renovate their homes. "This is going to mean that Americans, in particular middle-class Americans, are going to be paying more to the tune of $15,000 to $20,000 more USD to purchase or to build a home." The B.C. Lumber Trade Council says in a statement that if the U.S. department's pending review on countervailing duties is in line with its preliminary results, the combined rate against Canadian softwood shipped to the United States will be well over 30 per cent. In April, the preliminary combined rate on Canadian softwood lumber was reported to be 34.45 per cent, up from the previous 14.54 per cent. Friday's decision is a final determination, with Parmar saying it would go into effect in the U.S. Federal Register shortly.U.S. lumber producers have long maintained that Canadian stumpage fees, for harvesting on Crown land, are an unfair government subsidy. B.C.'s Independent Wood Processors Association says in a statement that the U.S. Commerce Department's decision this week to raise duties also includes a requirement for Canadian companies to retroactively remit duties for products shipped to the United States since Jan.1, 2023. WATCH | B.C. premier urges feds to prioritze lumber deal: Association chair Andy Rielly says in a statement that the requirement to pay duties on products shipped in the last 31 months could not only force small B.C. producers to shut down, but may also threaten operators' personal assets as they may have to risk using their homes as collateral to secure bonds to pay. Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this month that a future trade agreement with the United States could include quotas on softwood lumber, an area that has caused friction between the two countries for years before the latest trade war. Producer urges province to change conditions The United States has long been the single largest market for B.C. lumber exports, representing over half the market for the approximately $10-billion industry. But amid a series of challenges for the province's forestry industry — including a mountain pine beetle infestation that has killed hundreds of thousands of trees — mills have been closing around the province in recent years, and major forestry companies are opening up new mills in the United States. In 2023, numbers from Statistics Canada showed B.C. had lost more than 40,000 forest-sector jobs since the early 1990s. Kim Haakstad, the CEO of the B.C. Council of Forest Industries, said the B.C. government should work to improve the production environment in the province to prevent future mill closures. In a statement, the council said that by activating timber sales, fast-tracking permits and cutting through regulatory gridlock, the province could send a signal that it is serious about rebuilding a sustainable forest argued that if the industry could get production levels back to historic levels, it could help keep forestry-dependent communities vibrant into the future. "That will bring more than $300 million to the provincial government, as well, to help address the deficit situation we're in," Haakstad said. Kurt Niquidet, the president of the B.C. Lumber Trade Council, highlighted that Trump also has initiated a federal investigation into the U.S. imports of lumber and timber citing "national security," which could further impact B.C.'s forestry industry when combined with the tariffs. "Softwood lumber is quite important for the United States. They can only supply about 70 per cent of their softwood lumber demand, and they're importing 30 per cent from elsewhere," he told CBC News. "25 per cent of that's really coming from Canada, and British Columbia is the largest softwood lumber producer within Canada."
Fox News
24 minutes ago
- Fox News
Bongino promises a ‘dignified effort at truth' in cryptic X message
Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson discusses President Donald Trump's visit to Scotland, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino's social media post on potential investigations and more on 'Fox Report Weekend.'
