Exports

The Port of Los Angeles reported that total volume, at 883,053 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), fell 7.5% annually, and the Port of Long Beach reported that total September volume, at 797,537 TEU, was off 3.9% annually.

U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZs) continue to provide importers and exporters with duty deferral, export exemptions, and operational efficiencies, even as 2025 tariff policies—including reciprocal duties, higher Section 232 rates, and the end of de minimis—reshape the importing landscape. By leveraging FTZs, companies can manage costs, streamline compliance, and maintain global competitiveness while navigating evolving trade regulations.

With the White House’s widespread reciprocal tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners taking effect on August 7, the report said it expects total 2025 import cargo volume for the ports cited in the report to be 5.6% lower annually.

While some previous implementation dates for the White House’s reciprocal tariffs placed on goods imported into the United States had seen those dates pushed back, or paused, that was not the case this time around.

POLA reported that total June volume, at 892,340 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU), posted an 8% annual gain, marking the highest-volume June in the port’s 117 years of operation. June Port of Long Beach volume, at 704,703 TEU, fell 16.4% annually.

the weekend he said that matching 30% tariffs will be placed on the imports from the European Union and Mexico to the U.S. on the same date—separate from sectoral tariffs.

The report’s benchmark reading, the PMI, came in at 49.0 (a reading of 50 or higher indicates growth), up 0.5% from May’s 48.5 reading, which was off 0.2% from April’s 48.7 reading.

Total May volume, at 639,160 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), fell 8.2% annually, reported POLB. Imports, at 299,116, fell 13.4% annually, and exports, at 82,149 TEU, were off 18.6%. Empty containers saw a 3.2% annual increase, to 257,895 TEU.

Total volume, at 716,619 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) saw a 5% annual decline, with the port noting that the lower tally reflects the impact of tariffs on imports and exports.

The company explained that these acquisitions are a continuation of Outpost’s expansion from providing shippers with standalone fleet yards to full-service, shared-use terminals, with each property comprised of a mix of cross-docks, maintenance facilities, warehouses, office space, and drop yard acreage.

POLA reported that total April volume, at 842,806 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) increased 9.4% annually, for its third-best April on record. Total April POLB volume, at 867,943 TEU, marked a 15.6% annual gain, for the port’s strongest April in its history, topping April 2022 by 5.7%.

The April LMI reading, at 58.8, marks a 1.6% increase over March’s 57.1 (the lowest reading since August 2024), with its authors calling it a slight uptick, which was preceded by a 5.6% decrease, from February to March. And it added that the April reading is in line with readings seen over the fourth quarter 2024, with the caveat that factors leading to this score, as well as the dynamics of the overall economy, have shifted noticeably since then.

While there was a large amount of speculation regarding an anticipated drop in United States-bound import declines driven by the myriad trade policy and tariff actions put into action by President Trump since his return to office, that speculation has become reality, based on sentiment from various industry stakeholders.

The report’s first quarter shipment index value, at 75.4, fell 5.8% compared to the fourth quarter 2024, its 11th consecutive sequential decrease, and was off 13.8% annually. First quarter freight spend, at 177.8, fell 2.5% compared to the fourth quarter and was down 8.6% annually.

A temporary tariff pause brings hope—but little clarity—as importers brace for rising costs, shipping delays, and volatile policy shifts.