Near-record US container import streak expected to snap in May due to tariffs

Lisa Baertlein

Thu, May 8, 2025, 2:02 AM 2 min read

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -U.S. instrumentality imports surged successful April arsenic companies raced to debar President Donald Trump's tariffs, which present see a 145% work connected goods from China, but executives astatine the country's 2 busiest ports said the inclination looked acceptable to reverse successful May.

April instrumentality imports jumped 9.1% from a twelvemonth earlier to apical 2.4 cardinal 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), the second-highest connected grounds for the month, proviso concatenation exertion supplier Descartes, said connected Thursday.

Imports from China, the apical U.S. maritime commercialized partner, jumped 6.2% and accounted for 33.4% of each imports successful April.

Trump connected April 9 imposed punishing 145% tariffs connected China, much than doubling the outgo of goods from the state for U.S. consumers and prompting retailers similar Walmart, Amazon.com and different importers to intermission oregon cancel immoderate mill orders. He has besides imposed 10% tariffs connected galore different nations and said those rates could spell higher.

Import cargo astatine the Port of Los Angeles, the No. 1 U.S. seaport analyzable and the nation's starring gateway for goods from China, is expected to driblet 35% year-over-year this week, said Gene Seroka, the port's enforcement director.

Overall May vessel postulation could diminution by astir 20% arsenic operators of hulking cargo vessels cancel scheduled voyages owed to brushed demand, Seroka added.

Many of the goods that participate the Port of Los Angeles and adjacent Port of Long Beach instrumentality retired crossed the mainland United States via motortruck and train.

Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero expects May measurement to autumn 20% versus a twelvemonth ago.

Quickly evolving U.S. commercialized policies and retaliatory measures from U.S. trading partners arsenic good arsenic ongoing instability successful the Middle East and Eastern Europe are raising the hazard for planetary proviso concatenation disruption, Descartes said.

"The afloat interaction of tariffs — and the May 2 expiration of the de minimis exemption — has yet to beryllium reflected successful import volumes from China," Descartes said, referring to fashionable duty-free entree for low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong.

(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein successful Los Angeles; Editing by Nia Williams)