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Port of L.A. Says October Volume Down Significantly Due to Tariffs

Cargo is unloaded from a Maersk ship at a terminal. (Credit: Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Port of Los Angeles officials says October volume was significantly down from a year earlier due to tariffs.

The decline in the volume measurement known as twenty-foot equivalent units was 19.1% compared to October 2018.

Executive Director Gene Seroka says in a statement Thursday that with 25% percent fewer ship calls, 12 consecutive months of declining exports and now decreasing imports, the port is feeling the effects of the U.S.-China trade war on American exporters and manufacturers.

According to the port, October 2018 was record-setting as cargo was imported to get ahead of tariffs.

Seroka says he expects “soft volumes” in coming months.

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