Exports from the Port of Los Angeles fell 8% in January to the lowest monthly level in nearly three years, Executive Director Gene Seroka said Tuesday. The port handled 104,297 TEUs of loaded export containers, with shipments to China particularly hard hit by President Trump's aggressive tariff policies.

Soybean exports to China dropped 80% last year, with no improvement in November or December following APEC summit talks. Trade expert Chad Bown noted that outgoing U.S. shipments of beef, corn, crude oil, and coal also declined in 2025. The port's imports fell 13% in January to 421,594 TEUs, though February appears relatively flat compared to last year.

Despite the export slump, Seroka expects first-quarter volume to fall less than 10% compared to the year-earlier period when importers rushed to beat threatened tariffs. While December retail sales signaled potential weakness in consumer spending, Seroka doesn't anticipate a dramatic economic downturn. The Lunar New Year factory closures in China will temporarily slow March imports, but overall trade volumes appear to be stabilizing after the tariff-induced rush.