Port of LA Sees Busiest June Ever as Tariffs ‘Whipsaw’ Imports

g1cd620wx1[]07e6u93zjfbq_media_dl_1.png Port of Los Angeles

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(Bloomberg) — The busiest trade hub in the US saw container traffic rebound last month after a slump in May, as importers grapple with volatility driven by President Donald Trump’s trade war.

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The Port of Los Angeles processed some 892,000 twenty-foot-equivalent units or TEUs, according to executive director Gene Seroka. That’s a record for June and up 32% from the previous month. Overall, volumes in the first half of the year were up 5% from 2024.

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“While record-setting volume is welcome news, it also highlights the tariff whipsaw effect,” Seroka told reporters on Monday.

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Since taking office for a second time, Trump has jacked up US import taxes to the highest levels in a century or more — and added extra confusion for businesses by frequently announcing steep new tariffs only to dial them back soon after. 

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At the LA port, imports slowed significantly in May as the president hiked duties on Chinese goods well above 100%. But they picked up again starting around mid-June, after Washington and Beijing agreed a truce to bring the rates back down.

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The port unloaded about 470,000 import containers last month, about 10% more than June last year. Export volumes nudged up from a year earlier to 126,000 TEU, while processing of empty containers rose 7% to 296,000 TEU. 

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“Overall the combined cargo volume for the last two months is about the same as last year,” Seroka said. 

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US business will likely have to deal with plenty more trade-war whipsawing. Just in the past week or so, Trump has threatened new tariffs ranging from 30% on Mexico and Europe to 50% on copper and 100% on Russia or countries that buy energy from it. What’s more, his protectionist moves may invite retaliation. 

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“There’s a concern among American outbound shippers that we’ll start to see more reciprocal tariffs on US goods,” Seroka said. 

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Seroka said he expects last month’s surge to continue in July, as companies rush to beat a new Aug. 1 deadline that Trump has set for higher tariffs on most US trading partners. 

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But he also warned that higher costs, related to uncertainty as well as the tariffs themselves, will continue to hit importers. Trade forecasters expect a severe drop for the rest of the summer and through the holiday period that starts in November — typically peak season at the ports.

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