The Port of Los Angeles is seeing a peak season push as shippers look to frontload cargo to beat new tariffs slated to go into effect later this summer, Executive Director Gene Seroka said during a July 14 press briefing.
The port expects July volumes to hit 950,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, Seroka said, adding that the month already has seven extra loaders on the books to help handle shipments.
“It's just this whipsaw effect, as we saw in the month of May, people slammed on the brakes importing goods from China and, to an extent, other places,” said Seroka. “And then with this little bit of timeline movement to August 1, you start seeing a quick shot up of the imports that are coming in now.”
Last week, many U.S trading partners were hit with letters unveiling tariff rates the Trump administration plans to start charging certain countries. The new tariff rates disclosed in Trump’s letters, ranging from 20% to 50%, will go into effect Aug. 1.
So far, Trump said he has made tariff deals with three countries, including a framework for a deal with China, a signed pact with the United Kingdom, and an agreement with Vietnam, which the country has yet to confirm.
“With pushing back the trade tariffs with nations around the world to August 1, we're going to probably get one last push on imports coming to the United States and doing as much as they can to sneak in under that new August 1 deadline,” said Seroka.
The Port of Los Angeles saw its best June on record despite being off to a slow start, handling 892,340 TEUs, up 8% year over year, the port reported. Volumes, however, bounced back in the second half of the month, reflecting the tariff whipsaw effect spurred by Trump’s Aug. 1 tariff deadline.
Seroka noted that five extra loaders helped support inbound cargo in the latter half of June.
Loaded imports in June stood at 470,450 TEUs, up 10% YoY, per the port. Loaded exports, on the other hand, saw a 3% YoY increase at 126,114 TEUs. Empties were up 7% YoY to 295,746 container units.
The Port of Los Angeles recently wrapped up its full fiscal year on June 30, handling 10.5 million TEUs — a 14% increase from the year prior, the port reported. Meanwhile, the port handled nearly 5 million TEUs in the first six months of 2025 — a 5% YoY increase.
While the new tariff timeline may fuel shipper activity in July, it also introduces uncertainty for the remainder of the year
Starting in August, the Port of LA is likely to see a drop off in cargo volumes as retailers have secured enough inventory to last through the next few months, said Seroka. He further added that the National Retail Federation forecasts a double-digit percentage drop in cargo volume from August through November at U.S. ports.
“One thing is certain, the year-end holiday cargo orders should already be in Asia, and what's going to be on its way is what we're going to get for that all-important holiday season,” said Seroka. “It's too late to try to negotiate orders at this point in time for that year-end product.”
