The Port of Los Angeles handled 716,619 TEUs in May, a 5 per cent decline from the same month last year, marking its lowest monthly volume in over two years.
After 10 consecutive months of year-over-year (YoY) growth, cargo movement slowed due to the impact of tariffs on both imports and exports.
Port Executive Director, Gene Seroka, said: “May typically sees higher volume than April as we near peak season, but imports dropped 19 per cent month-over-month (MoM).
“Without long-term trade agreements, we may face higher prices and limited product availability during the holiday season. Ongoing tariff uncertainty is already affecting consumers, businesses, and workers.”
READ: Port of Los Angeles posts strong April before tariff impact
Joining Seroka at the briefing, Ernie Tedeschi, Director of Economics at The Budget Lab at Yale, outlined the broader impact of tariffs on American households.
Tedeschi stated: “We estimate tariffs will raise prices by 1.5 per cent, reducing purchasing power by about $2,500 per household annually.
“The burden falls more heavily on lower-income families, especially for commonly imported goods like shoes, apparel, and electronics, which could see double-digit price increases.”
In May 2025, loaded imports totalled 355,950 TEUs (down 9 per cent YoY), exports were 120,196 TEUs (down 5 per cent), and empty containers increased 2 per cent to 240,472 TEUs.
Despite the monthly slowdown, year-to-date (YTD) volume reached 4.06 million TEUs — 4 per cent above the same period in 2024.
