Port of Los Angeles Sees Import Drop in September
Tariffs and Trade Uncertainty Weigh on America’s Busiest Seaport
Key Takeaways:
- Key Takeaways Generator said: The Port of Los Angeles reported an 8% drop in imports for September, marking a second straight monthly decline even as third-quarter cargo volume hit a record 2.9 million TEUs.
- Port officials attributed the slowdown to U.S.-China trade tensions and tariffs imposed under President Donald Trump that are squeezing profit margins and raising consumer prices.
- The National Retail Federation forecast import volumes will continue falling through January, with a projected 16% year-over-year drop as businesses work through stockpiled inventories.
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The flow of imports at America’s busiest seaport dropped for a second month in September even as the total volume hit a record high in the third quarter, as U.S. businesses continue to navigate volatile U.S. trade policy.
Cargo handlers at the nation’s busiest port closed out the third quarter with 2.9 million TEUs, or twenty-foot equivalent units, beating the record set in the same period last year. Volume is expected to slow in the coming months as President Donald Trump’s tariffs bite into profit margins and impact consumer prices, and uncertainty over the U.S.-China trade war increases.
“We’re past peak season and expect to see cargo volume soften over the last three months of the year,” Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka told reporters Oct. 15. “And of course, ongoing turbulent negotiations with our largest trading partner could intensify that decline.”
The Port of Los Angeles processed some 883,000 container units in September, according to port data. About 460,000 of those TEUs were loaded with imports, an 8% decline compared to September last year. Exports made up nearly 114,700 TEUs last month — almost identical to the same month last year.
(Bloomberg)
Empty containers totaled about 308,000, representing a 10% decrease in September compared to the same month last year, which Seroka said is “yet another signal that our imports will be softening.”
Seaports across the U.S. have seen volatile trade volumes since Trump started ratcheting up his trade war with China earlier this year.
Imports flowing into the U.S. more broadly are also expected to slow down. A forecast from the National Retail Federation released last week shows a steady decline in in-bound goods from September through December, and import volumes in January are projected to be 16% lower than the same month in 2025.
“Many large companies preemptively imported goods to build up inventories, but as those stockpiles are depleted, the full inflationary impact of the tariffs will become apparent” said Ben Hackett of Hackett Associates, which puts out the Global Port Tracker with the NRF.
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