Long Beach port expects big drop in cargo volume, as 'pause' in China orders sinks in

After the Port of Los Angeles said that cargo traffic is expected to plummet due to White House tariff policies, its counterpart in Long Beach is bracing for the same fate.

And it's been quite a change in fortunes for the Long Beach complex.

"The Port Long Beach after the first quarter of 2025 moved more container cargo than any other port in the country," Mario Cordero, CEO of Port of Long Beach, told LAist. "Now what's happening in the second quarter? We are now seeing vessel cancellations."

Cordero said the port is expecting an estimated 30% drop in cargo volume in the second quarter. For the second half of the year, as much as a 20% reduction.

 "As we move towards July, I think consumers will now see the negative impact of higher prices and reduce products on the shelf," he said.

 July is also the start of the port's peak season, as goods come in ahead of back to school and holiday shopping seasons.

In order for those products to arrive on time, shipment orders have to be placed by the end of May, he said.

" I could tell you right now, there's been a pause on shipping orders from China," Cordero said, adding that about 60% of the imports coming through the Port of Long Beach are from China.

Even though both the U.S. and China are holding firm in the trade war, Cordero said he's hopeful for potential negotiations to begin. Because a drop in cargo volume would inevitably hurt workers.

 "There's more than 700,000 jobs that are indirectly and directly stem from operations here at the Port of Long Beach," Cordero said. "Less containers, less jobs on the docks, less jobs in the trucking sector."