Exports from the Port of Los Angeles fell 8 per cent in January to a near three-year low, with shipments to China remaining “dismal” amid persistent tariff tensions and weak demand
Exports from the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest US gateway for ocean trade, fell 8 per cent in January to their lowest monthly level in nearly three years, underscoring the deepening strain in trade flows with China amid ongoing tariff tensions.
Executive Director Gene Seroka said the port handled 104,297 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of loaded export containers in January, marking a sharp downturn in outbound shipments.
“Exports to China look dismal,” Seroka said during a media briefing.
Soybean shipments collapse
The downturn has been particularly severe in agricultural exports. Soybean shipments from the Port of Los Angeles to China plunged 80 per cent last year, Seroka said, adding that trade flows showed no meaningful improvement in November or December despite discussions between officials from Washington and Beijing on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
The slump highlights the lingering aftershocks of aggressive tariff policies introduced under President Donald Trump, whose trade measures and the subsequent retaliatory duties from China have weighed heavily on US farmers and commodity exporters.
“There’s not much that the United States is exporting to China these days,” Chad Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told Reuters. He noted that outbound US shipments ranging from beef and corn to crude oil and coal also declined in 2025, reflecting a broader cooling of bilateral trade.
Imports soften after pre-tariff surge
On the import side, the port processed 421,594 TEUs in January, down 13 per cent from a year earlier. The comparison, however, is against an unusually strong base when US importers accelerated shipments ahead of threatened tariff hikes.
So far in February, import volumes appear relatively flat year-on-year, Seroka said. A slowdown is expected in March as Chinese factories close for the Lunar New Year holiday, temporarily dampening shipments.
Despite the weak start to the year, Seroka projected that total first-quarter volume at the Port of Los Angeles would decline by less than 10 per cent compared with the year-earlier quarter.
“I don’t see the economy or cargo volume dropping off a cliff,” he said. “Even though holiday sales were softer than we would have liked, I don’t see a dire situation.”
Broader economic signals
Softer December retail sales in the United States have already signalled potential weakness in consumer spending, which accounts for roughly 70 per cent of overall economic activity.
While the latest figures point to continued headwinds for exporters—particularly those reliant on China—port officials remain cautiously optimistic that cargo flows will stabilise rather than deteriorate sharply in the months ahead.
With inputs from agencies.
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