Ocean imports to the United States likely reached their highest point in July as retailers rushed to bring in goods from China and other regions ahead of potential tariff increases on holiday-related products, according to Reuters. The Port of Los Angeles, a key hub for U.S. imports, reported an 8% increase in containerized imports in July, reaching 544,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
Read also: July U.S. Container Imports Near Record High as China Volumes Rebound and Tariff Deadlines Tighten
Gene Seroka, the port’s executive director, attributed the surge to importers accelerating shipments to avoid looming tariff hikes. Data from the IndexBox platform indicates similar trends, with U.S. import demand front-loaded in anticipation of trade policy shifts. Zachary Rogers from the Logistics Managers Index noted that most holiday-season inventory had already arrived by July, breaking from the traditional August-to-October peak.
President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, including a temporary 145% levy on Chinese goods, disrupted typical import patterns. However, a recent 90-day extension of the U.S.-China tariff truce has provided temporary relief for retailers such as Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), and Home Depot (HD).
