- Imports Fall 19% from April Despite Peak Season Build-Up.
- May Marks Lowest Monthly Cargo Output in Over Two Years.
- Tariffs Blamed for Disruption in Trade and Consumer Impact.
The Port of Los Angeles reports that it handled a total of 716,619 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in May 2025, representing a 5% decrease compared to the same month in 2024. This decline follows a solid 10 months of continuous year-over-year growth, largely influenced by the shifting economic landscape resulting from changing tariff policies that affect both imports and exports.
Executive Director Highlights Unseasonal Drop
“May marked our lowest monthly cargo output in over two years,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka during a media briefing. He noted a sharp decline in imports: “While May volume is typically stronger than April as we approach our traditional peak season, our imports dropped 19% compared to last month.”
Seroka warned of further consequences if trade conditions do not stabilise: “Unless long-term, comprehensive trade agreements are reached soon, we’ll likely see higher prices and less selection during the year-end holiday season. The uncertainty created by fast-changing tariff policies has caused hardships for consumers, businesses and labor.”
Economic Expert Warns of Rising Consumer Costs
Ernie Tedeschi, Director of Economics at The Budget Lab at Yale, joined the briefing and shared insights on how tariffs affect American consumers. “The Budget Lab has been modeling the impact of tariffs on American households since the first announcements earlier this year. Tariffs would raise average prices by 1.5%, a loss in purchasing power of nearly $2,500 per household per year.”
He emphasized that the effects are not evenly distributed: “Lower-income and working-class families see a bigger hit than higher-income families, and products more likely to be imported like shoes, apparel, and consumer electronics will see double-digit percent price increases.”
Container Breakdown for May 2025
- Loaded Imports: 355,950 TEUs, which is a 9% drop compared to last year.
- Loaded Exports: 120,196 TEUs, down 5% from 2024.
- Empty Containers: 240,472 TEUs, showing a 2% increase from last year.
Even with the slowdown in May, the Port has managed to handle 4,063,472 TEUs in the first five months of 2025, marking a 4% rise compared to the same timeframe in 2024.
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Source: The Port of Los Angeles
