Chinese goods comprise about 45% of the Port of Los Angeles' total cargo volume. The drop in shipments could mark one of the steepest short-term trade slowdowns the port has seen in years.
While the U.S. seeks to reduce its reliance on Chinese imports, some logistics companies are attempting to reroute trade through other parts of Southeast Asia. Still, Seroka said these efforts are unlikely to compensate for the full loss of goods of Chinese origin.
"Realistically speaking, until some accord or framework can be reached with China, the volume coming out of there — save a couple of different commodities — will be very light at best," he added.
Adding to concerns, Seroka said the port anticipates canceling about a quarter of its usual ship arrivals in May due to reduced demand. The cutbacks come amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing following Trump's April 2 announcement of a broad increase in tariffs on Chinese imports.