Three Democratic U.S. representatives for California visited the ports of Los Angeles and Lengthy Seashore on Friday to voice their issues after President Trump instructed reporters that the slowdown of exercise on the ports was “a good thing.”
Trump has argued that tariffs are wanted to spice up manufacturing jobs within the U.S. and that the slowdown in port exercise “means we lose less money.”
However steep duties on imports from key commerce companions have resulted in fewer cargo containers transferring by way of the 2 ports, that are the busiest within the nation.
U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) excursions the Port of LA post-tariffs as usually bustling berths sit empty behind him on Might 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. “Unfortunately, Trump engaged in a trade war without understanding the repercussions of his actions,” Gomez mentioned. “This is going to cost them a lot.”
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
With a 145% tariff on China, a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, and 10% tariffs on dozens of different international locations, the circulate of products into the U.S. is predicted to gradual drastically.
The drop off in exercise means fewer jobs for longshoremen and truckers, and down the road, increased costs for customers, the representatives mentioned.
“Unfortunately, Trump engaged in a trade war without understanding the repercussions of his actions,” U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Los Angeles) instructed The Instances. “This is going to cost them a lot.”
Gomez, who toured the port of Los Angeles by way of boat Friday, the place towering cranes loaded cargo onto ready ships, mentioned in an interview that port employees and small enterprise homeowners could be hit hardest by the tariffs.
The scene was much less bustling than normal, port officers mentioned. Seventeen ships have already canceled their deliberate journeys to the Port of Los Angeles in Might, port officers mentioned, an incidence referred to as a “blank sailing” meaning much less cargo being processed.
Cargo containers are stacked close to the shore as usually bustling berths sit empty as Trump’s tariff’s are plunging quantity as a lot as 35% as ships from China cancel their journeys to the Port of Los Angeles on Might 9, 2025 in Los Angeles.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
Port of Los Angeles Govt Director Gene Seroka predicted in late April that exercise on the ports would plunge by 35% over the subsequent 14 days. The 17 confirmed clean sailings in Might alone are equal to 225,000 fewer 20-foot equal items of cargo, or TEUs.
Roughly 4 TEUs signify one job on the port, in line with Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro). The ripple results of the tariffs may lead to vital job loss, she mentioned, which may hurt the communities of Lengthy Seashore and San Pedro, which she represents.
“It was really concerning to hear the president, when he was asked about the slowdown, say it was a good thing,” Barragan mentioned. “It’s insulting to people at the ports and American families who are going to start to see prices going up.”
The Port of Los Angeles, which covers 7,500 acres on San Pedro Bay, processed greater than 10 million TEUs in 2024. A 2023 report discovered that the ports of Los Angeles and Lengthy Seashore contributed $21.8 billion in direct income to native service suppliers, producing $2.7 billion in state and native taxes and creating 165,462 jobs, straight and not directly.
A decline of simply 1% in cargo to the ports would wipe away 2,769 jobs and endanger as many as 4,000 others, the examine discovered.
Usually bustling berths sit empty as Trump’s tariff’s are plunging quantity as a lot as 35% as ships from China cancel their journeys to the Port of Los Angeles on Might 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
A spike of exercise on the ports preceded the drop-off as importers front-loaded items earlier than the tariffs took impact. Whereas giant firms similar to Amazon and Walmart had this selection, smaller companies doubtless didn’t, Gomez mentioned.
“The mom and pop stores, the medium size and small folks, they don’t have warehouses where they can just store stuff,” Gomez mentioned. “I don’t want them to go through unnecessary pain.”
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Lengthy Seashore) additionally visited the dual ports on Friday.
“The reality is that no communities are going to be impacted by these tariffs more than Long Beach, San Pedro and south Los Angeles,” Garcia mentioned. “The dockworkers and warehouse workers, they are the fabric of the harbor.”
