West Coast Imports Decline in June, Tariffs a Suspect to Blame

West Coast imports declined in the month of June, which may be tied to recent trade wars and tariffs. Notably, the Port of Long Beach saw a 13% decline year-over-year (YOY) in June, along with the Port of Oakland and the Northwest Seaport Alliance which saw a 6% drop YOY in June, according to Supply Chain Dive. These numbers have been offset by a 3% increase at the Port of Los Angeles.

While these declines speak for the West Coast, they also coincide with declines in Chinese imports. Shipping rates fell 5% from China to the West Coast YOY, yet shipping rates to the East Coast are up 12% YOY.

"The story we saw develop in 2018 was retailers forwarding goods to beat tariffs," Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero said in a statement. "For 2019, it seems that the cargo is all here and warehouses are filled. That's disrupting container movement and the growth we would normally see this time of year."

—Christie Citranglo, editorial associate