US ocean container imports tumble in May as China tariffs take hold
LOS ANGELES, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. seaborne imports of goods from China dropped 28.5% year-over-year in May, the sharpest decline since the pandemic, as President Donald Trump's 145% tariffs took hold, supply chain technology provider Descartes (DSG.TO), opens new tab said on Monday.
China is the top U.S. supplier of goods that enter through seaports, including the nation's busiest in Los Angeles/Long Beach. Domestic businesses ranging from retailer Walmart (WMT.N), opens new tab to automaker Ford (F.N), opens new tab depend on those goods to operate.
Ports on the U.S. West Coast handle the greatest share of trade with China and experienced significant volume declines in May with Los Angeles, Long Beach and Tacoma, Washington, down 18.4%, 22.4% and 25.6%, respectively, Descartes data showed.
Overall U.S. seaborne imports in May tumbled 7.2% from the year earlier to 2.18 million 20-foot equivalent units - snapping a streak of near-record increases fueled by companies frontloading goods to avoid higher duties.
The United States and China agreed to a 90-day pause on punitive tit-for-tat tariffs last month. U.S. and Chinese officials met in London on Monday to defuse the high-stakes trade dispute between the world's largest economies.
Port executives and shipping consultants expect volume from China to rebound during the tariff truce, albeit at a more moderate level.
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