Port official tells committee tariffs and uncertainty could cut cargo volumes, hit dockworker hours and local supply chains

A Port of Los Angeles representative told the Commerce, Tourism and Travel Committee that recent and proposed tariff actions have already changed importer behavior and could reduce cargo volumes at the complex in the coming weeks, producing fewer work hours for longshore and casual dock workers and stress on local supply chains.

The representative said tariffs that have been publicly discussed and implemented in recent months reached as high as about 145 percent for some China-origin goods and that some importers have paused shipments to wait for certainty. The port official said the Port’s share of goods from China had declined from about 57 percent during an earlier tariff round to about 45 percent more recently and that the port was monitoring indications that container volumes could fall by roughly 35 percent in a short period if current trends continue. The representative described knock-on effects for overtime, casual hiring and businesses that supply and serve port workers and nearby neighborhoods.

The committee was told that smaller importers and retailers are less able to front large inventories in advance of tariff changes and are therefore more vulnerable to sudden rate increases. The speaker cautioned that retaliatory tariffs affecting U.S. agricultural and manufactured exports would also change patterns of trade and could shift cargo flows to other regions.

Committee members asked about local employment impacts and fiscal implications. The port representative described the local workforce mix — a core of registered longshore workers supplemented by a larger pool of casual workers who pick up shifts — and said a drop in cargo volumes would reduce overtime and casual hours, diminishing household earnings that support restaurants, grocers and other neighborhood businesses near the terminals.

Committee members and staff discussed framing a broader industry convening to bring together port operators, labor, local business leaders and city officials for scenario planning and mitigation strategies. The port representative supported convening stakeholders to “lower the temperature” and identify practical steps to sustain supply-chain flows and employment while negotiations at the federal level proceed.

No formal committee action on the port update was taken; it was presented as a verbal quarterly report. Earlier in the meeting, the committee approved a set of consent items (agenda block 6) by a 2–0 vote with one member absent.