In the aftermath of the rates, cargo in the port of LA has fallen by 35%: NPR

Every week morning outside the shipping office of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 13, dozens of dock workers collect, hoping to get some work in the huge ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Usually it is relatively easy to find – and employees get a white piece of paper with details about where to go and when to appear.

But on Tuesday morning many left empty -handed.

“Less volume of freight containers means less work for us,” said Longshore employee Charlie Camacho. His task usually consists of loading and unloading shipping containers. “So we feel it, we certainly feel it,” he said.

Together these two gates form an extremely busy port complex – only the port of Los Angeles is the busiest in the Western hemisphere. But in the month Or since the rates against Chinese goods that have been laid down – port officials have predicted a decrease in the cargo here. This week they announced that it had fallen 35% compared to the same week last year.

The immediate impact of the fall in freight influences almost every company around the ports: truck, shipping, distribution centers and others. But port officials say that this decline will soon be felt much wider – by manufacturers and retailers throughout the country, as well as consumers.

Volume down, Local companies suffer

In 2024, About 31% Of everything that came in or from the US in shipping containers over water, this port complex came. Last year the ports dealt with 19.9 million of those containers – but it is probably less in 2025.

Camacho, whose family worked three generations in the ports, proudly spoke about working as part of this system.

“My grandmother was one of the first women to work in the ports,” he said. “I sometimes think I do this for her.”

When he was asked about his chances of finding work on Tuesday, he was not optimistic – “Ah man, like 25 percent, perhaps,” he replied.

He eventually left the shipping office without performance.

It is not only longshore employees who are affected -a dive in freight has a huge ecosystem of companies connected to importing and exporting goods into South California.

Frank Groves is an independent seller who earns his money to sell gloves and safety equipment to port employees. He was also in the Dispatch Hall on Tuesday and tried to find customers – but he says that things have fallen almost 75 percent in recent weeks.

“No sale at all. If they don’t work, I don’t earn money,” he said.

Rob WalpoleBusiness is also lower. He is the CEO of Customs Goods, which is located in nearby Carson, California and treats shipments of products as soon as they arrive at the ports.

“We have seen significant reductions of import shipping volumes in this country,” he said. “That means considerably fewer volumes that we will handle on behalf of our customers.”

“You name it, they all come through our gates”

“The situation is not good,” says Gene Seroka, the executive director of the port of Los Angeles. “People are absolutely worried, absolutely.“

According to the website of the port1 in 12 jobs in Los Angeles and Long Beach are supported by the ports. But their economic footprint goes much further than Los Angeles and California.

“The impact that the port of Los Angeles has on the city, the region and the country cannot be underestimated,” said Seroka. “The load that goes through this port does not only reach all 50 states, but each of our 435 conference districts.”

This can include food, medical supplies, production components and end products, according to Sal di Constanzo, a representative of Labor Relations for the ILWU Local 13.

The harbor frame Furniture, car parts, clothing and electronics under their top imports.

“Name, they all come through our ports,” said Di Constanzo.

According to Seroka, large importers say that shoppers could see shortages in four to six weeks as soon as the inventory stored for the rates has been sustained. He says they can also see considerable price increases.

Long -term care

Even if the raised rates disappear, some of these problems can last for a while, Diane Middleton said. She is a former commissioner of Los Angeles City Harbor who has been working with the ports for more than 50 years.

“You not only set up ships as taxi leaves,” she said. “You have to reserve ships. You have to specify for a while. If you have cut it all, you can’t bring it back that way.”

And in the long term, she added, decades old trading patterns Can be changed permanently. She thinks that although the US will always be a desired customer, countries like China can look for others with less political revolution in the trade sector to do business in the future.