The Port of Los Angeles reported that imports for the month of May were down by 9% compared to the same period last year, according to Eugene Seroka, Executive Director Port of Los Angeles. Seroka said uncertainty plagues orders for peak season and therefore for the holidays.
Seroka spoke at the Port of Los Angeles media briefing on June 13th where he noted: “In May, the Port of Los Angeles processed 717,000 container units. That is about 5% less than last year at this time, which is just a little better than we expected. However, a closer look at the data shows that May imports fell by 9% from last year and 19% compared to the month of April. Inbound cargo totaled 355,950 TEUs, which was 25% less than what we forecasted on April 1st before the tariffs were announced. For context, we typically expect May volume to be a little stronger than that of April because we are approaching peak season … compared to our five-year running average for the month of May, imports are down 17%.”
In addition, exports were down by 5% in May: “Moving over to exports, we handled 120,000 units, a 5% decrease from 2024. That lands us at six straight months of declining exports, much of that at the expense of American farmers. Next week, I'll be in Tacoma, Washington for the 37th Annual Agriculture Transportation Coalition Conference [June 16-19]. The largest gathering of its kind led by AGTC’s Peter Friedmann (where we) will strategize on actionable steps both on the ground and in Washington D.C. to turn the tide and begin boosting U.S. exports.”
