For US ports and jobs tied to them, Trump’s tariffs offer front-row seat on ‘bumpy’ ride

Logistics and trade-dependent businesses find their operations in disarray as supply-chain analysts warn of greater uncertainty

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Container trucks make their way past shipping containers stacked high at the Port of Los Angeles in California on Monday. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:32am, 16 Apr 2025

Scarcely two weeks into Donald Trump’s celebration of “Liberation Day” on April 2, America’s bustling maritime gateways have emerged as ground zero for the consequences of the US president’s unpredictable tariff policies.

Ports, logistics and trade-dependent businesses are finding their operations in disarray, while supply-chain analysts warn of greater uncertainty, rerouting, uneven port utilisation, slowed trade and job losses becoming the new norm.

“Buckle up, this is going to get really bumpy for us,” said Gene Seroka of the Port of Los Angeles, where goods from China account for nearly 45 per cent of total volume, on Friday.

The adjacent ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach together handle roughly one-third of all containerised cargo entering the US. Any short-circuiting of their operations could have ripple effects at other ports worldwide, upending trade networks that have evolved over decades.

Since Trump’s election in November, Los Angeles has seen a jump in activity as US importers stockpile. The port moved more than 10 million containers in 2024, marking only the second time it cleared that level in its 116-year history.

As front-loading continued, the port handled more than 300,000 container units in March – up 1.6 per cent from a year earlier. From January-to-March, China logged a surplus of US$76.6 billion in units with the US.