Source: Supply Chain Dive
Date: 16th June 2025

Tariffs, Cancelled Sailings, and Weak Import Volumes Disrupt Freight Flow and Trucking Demand

Cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles have declined significantly, driven by new U.S. tariffs and shifting global trade patterns. Since the universal 10% baseline tariff took effect in April — with even higher rates for some trade partners — the port has experienced a drop in container traffic.

Truck drivers, who once hauled four to five loads daily, are now moving just two to three, according to port officials. May’s figures reflect this slowdown, with cargo volumes down 5% year-over-year and 19% from April, marking the lowest monthly output in over two years.

The impact on trucking companies has been severe. Fewer shipments through the San Pedro Bay Port Complex — which handles 40% of the country’s imports — mean less work for drivers and reduced revenue for the sector.

Despite predictions of a summer import surge driven by temporarily relaxed tariffs on Chinese goods, port officials say they haven’t seen the anticipated volume increases. Retailers appear cautious, and many have yet to indicate whether they are planning to restock ahead of the year-end shopping season.

Seventeen cancelled sailings in May alone resulted in 225,000 fewer container units arriving at the port, compounding the freight downturn. Although industry trackers had forecast stronger activity leading into July and beyond, driven by holiday inventory planning, port authorities remain sceptical.

With retailers not openly committing to restocking strategies and container flow underwhelming, trucking businesses continue to feel the pinch amid economic and trade uncertainty.