Retailers and manufacturers pull back after tariffs spurred cargo rush
The tariff-driven flood of imports into the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has come to a close, marking the end of a record-setting summer for America’s busiest maritime gateway.
In August, the Southern California port complex handled 944,832 inbound containers measured in twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), according to preliminary figures. While that volume remains historically strong, it represents a 6.6% decline from July, when imports surpassed 1 million TEUs — one of the busiest months on record.
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said retailers and manufacturers have largely frontloaded their shipments to avoid escalating tariffs, and that cargo volumes are likely to decline further in the months ahead.
“We’ve already seen the peak of the peak,” Seroka said. “That window of opportunity through late June, July, and August seems to be it.”
The slowdown reflects a year marked by sharp swings in cargo flows as U.S. trade policy repeatedly shifted. Retailers began 2025 rushing goods into the country to avoid potential levies, only to pull back sharply in May when tariffs on Chinese imports briefly jumped to 135%. Imports then surged again this summer as the Trump administration cut China’s tariff rate and imposed new duties on a range of other countries beginning in early August.
The volatile backdrop has created whiplash for supply chains. Some companies raced to fill warehouses, fearing cost spikes and delays, while others held back amid uncertainty over consumer demand and trade negotiations.
Officials said the import pullback in September and October could be steeper than normal seasonal declines as retailers have already stocked up much of their holiday inventory. The cooling period is expected to ripple through trucking, warehousing, and logistics providers that had been operating at near-capacity during the summer rush.
U.S. seaports nationwide have struggled with similar volatility this year, underscoring how tariff-driven policy shifts are reshaping trade flows. While the surge provided a temporary boost to volumes in Los Angeles and Long Beach, the outlook for the remainder of 2025 is clouded by questions over tariff levels, consumer spending trends, and the pace of negotiations with key trading partners.
