Inbound shipments to Port of Los Angeles fall 30 pct in early May

Inbound shipments to the Port of Los Angeles, one of the largest and busiest container ports in the United States, dropped by 30 percent in early May due to U.S. trade policies under the Trump administration, according to reports from local media.

Due to other countries imposing retaliatory tariffs on goods and services from the United States, especially on agricultural products, the U.S. exports decreased for the fifth consecutive month in April.

German multinational financial services company Allianz SE released a global trade survey on Tuesday, which surveyed 4,500 exporters in nine key countries, including China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, indicating weakened confidence of exporters because of the U.S. trade policies.

Allianz SE said that the unpredictability of U.S. tariff policies has undermined exporters' confidence, with 42 percent of companies expecting a decrease in export turnover of 2 to 10 percent in the next 12 months.

The U.S. government announced on April 2 the imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs" on all trading partners.

Allianz Trade Global Survey showed that before April 2, 80 percent of exporters expected an increase in exports this year, but after April 2, this number dropped to 40 percent.

Moreover, exporters' production has been impacted, as 27 percent of firms have indicated that, due to the combination of tariffs and currency volatility, they may temporarily halt production. Furthermore, 32 percent of companies plan to cease imports or overseas production to avoid delays or increased costs. The survey also indicated that some companies are passing on costs to customers by raising prices, with 54 percent of companies in the United States opting to increase prices.

Inbound shipments to Port of Los Angeles fall 30 pct in early May

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation