LA Exports to China Dismal in January as Trade Tensions Persist
LA Exports to China Dismal in January as Trade Tensions Persist
Exports from the Port of Los Angeles fell 8% in January, with shipments to China remaining dismal amid tariff tensions, signaling ongoing weakness in US-China trade.
Exports from the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest US gateway for ocean trade, fell 8 per cent in January to their lowest monthly level in nearly three years, underscoring the deepening strain in trade flows with China amid ongoing tariff tensions. The port handled 104,297 TEUs of loaded export containers in January, marking a sharp downturn in outbound shipments. "Exports to China look dismal," the port’s executive director said during a briefing.
The downturn has been particularly severe in agricultural exports, with soybean shipments from the Port of Los Angeles to China plunging 80 per cent last year. Trade flows showed no meaningful improvement in November or December despite discussions between Washington and Beijing on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The slump highlights the lingering aftershocks of aggressive tariff policies introduced under the previous administration, whose duties weighed heavily on US farmers and commodity exporters.
On the import side, the port processed 421,594 TEUs in January, down 13 per cent from a year earlier. The comparison is against an unusually strong base when US importers accelerated shipments ahead of threatened tariff hikes. So far in February, import volume has remained under pressure as industry players adjust to the evolving tariff landscape.
The figures point to broader cooling in bilateral trade and reflect persistent headwinds for exporters seeking to diversify markets beyond China, as tariff tensions and demand shifts continue to shape the flow of goods through the nation’s largest trade gateway.
