The Port of Los Angeles experienced a 12% decline in volume for January 2026, according to Eugene Seroka, Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles.
Seroka was speaking at the Port’s media briefing on Feb 17th.
He made the following observations:
- Imports were down 13% from 2025 levels at 421,000 container units;
- Exports were down 8% from 2025 levels at 104,000 container units;
- China trade through the Port is down to 40% after being at 60% in 2018;
- Trade from other Southeast Asian countries has compensated for the losses of trade with China.
- Exports to China, he described as “dismal,” with one of the biggest declines showing up with soybeans, where exports through the Port were down 80% in 2025.
Economist Chad Bown, a leading authority on tariffs and US-China trade and a Reginald Jones Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute of Economics, said that uncertainty continues to plague US business leaders and their investment strategies due to the impact of Trump administration tariffs…