Imports at several of the busiest US seaports dropped sharply in May, after President Donald Trump's short-lived 145 per cent tariffs on many goods from China stalled trade, according to data from Descartes Datamyne.
The world's two biggest economies overnight announced a trade deal framework that sets tariffs on China at the prior 30 per cent rate, subject to final approval. That rate would be combined with the 25 per cent tariffs imposed during Trump's first term, bringing the total China rate to 55 per cent.
China is the top US supplier of goods that arrive by sea. That cargo is often for retailers like Walmart, as well as for major manufacturers, including automakers.
West Coast ports handle a significant percentage of China shipments and suffered large year-over-year volume hits in May. In California, Long Beach imports dropped 20.9 per cent and Los Angeles fell 8.5 per cent. In the state of Washington, Seattle was off 17.3 per cent and Tacoma plummeted 39.4 per cent.
On the East Coast, import volume at the Port of New York and New Jersey declined 15.3 per cent. Norfolk, Virginia, dove 14.7 per cent, and Wilmington, North Carolina, dropped 17.6 per cent.
Gulf of Mexico ports Houston and Mobile, Alabama, were down 3.4 and 20.4 per cent, respectively.
Overall US imports of goods from China dropped 28.5 per cent year-over-year in May, according to supply chain technology provider Descartes.
Importers raced to secure bookings for paused China shipments after the first US-China tariff truce lowered rates to 30 per cent last month.
Nevertheless, the head of the Port of Los Angeles, the nation's largest, said he does not expect a deluge of freight because 30 per cent tariffs still translate into meaningfully higher costs for importers.
(Reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles; Editing by Leslie Adler)