In the wake of tariffs, cargo at the Port of LA is down 35%

Each morning, dock workers line up outside ILWU Local 13 hoping for a job slip. Lately, more are leaving empty-handed. Container volume through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—the busiest in the Western Hemisphere—is down 35% from last year, largely due to rising tariffs on Chinese goods. The impact stretches far beyond the docks, hitting everyone from safety gear vendors to national retailers. For many, like longshoreman Charlie Camacho, this slowdown isn’t just economic—it’s personal, generational, and increasingly uncertain. Steve Futterman with NPR has the full story.

Steve Futterman

NPR

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