Jobs at the Port of Los Angeles, the largest and busiest port in the United States, are down by half as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hikes cripple trade with Asia-Pacific, local media reported on Saturday.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the U.S. government's tariff policies have severely curbed shipments to America, leading to declining cargo volumes at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. As two of the nation's busiest trade gateways, these ports used to employ thousands of dockworkers, heavy equipment operators, and truck drivers. But now with global trade disrupted by U.S. tariffs, port operations have seen a sharp down slide.
Over the last 25 work shifts, only 733 jobs were available for 1,575 longshoremen looking for work, Los Angeles Times reported, citing Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, adding that the port processed 25 percent less cargo than forecast for May.
"They haven't been laid off, but they're not working nearly as much as they did previously," Seroka said. "Since the tariffs went into place, and in May specifically, we've really seen the work go off on the downside."
Seroka attributed the decrease in job opportunities to lower cargo volume moving through the port. He also pointed out that the June numbers are forecast to be lower than traditional levels.
The Port of Los Angeles has ranked as the largest container port in the United States each year since 2000. In California alone, nearly 1 million jobs are related to trade through the port.
The LA Times report said the decline in shipping has broader ripple effects on the logistics economy of Los Angeles.
A 2023 report found that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach contributed 21.8 billion U.S. dollars in direct revenue to local service providers, generating 2.7 billion U.S. dollars in state and local taxes and creating 165,462 jobs, directly and indirectly.
A decline of just 1 percent in cargo to the ports would wipe away 2,769 jobs and endanger as many as 4,000 others, the study found.
Tariff tensions reduce shipments, port jobs in Los Angeles
Tariff tensions reduce shipments, port jobs in Los Angeles
Tariff tensions reduce shipments, port jobs in Los Angeles
Japan is going down a doomed path of militarism, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned on Wednesday, saying the Japanese people will pay the price for their government's growing militarist tendencies.
Speaking in the China Media Group (CMG) studio on the sidelines of the ongoing 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia, Zakharova elaborated on the Japanese government's accelerated efforts to align with NATO and ease military constraints.
At the recently concluded Shangri-La Dialogue 2026 in Singapore, Asia's premier defense and security summit, Japanese Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi has indicated that Japan will further strengthen its defense capabilities and seek a "new role" in regional security.
The remarks have raised concerns among countries in the region.
"Over the past century, Japan has been repeatedly weaponized by militarist governments. The consequences are plain for all to see. What is most perplexing is that those who play the 'Japan card' not only use Japan as a tool but also subject the nation to protracted suffering and devastating sacrifices. I believe Japan is being put through the same ordeal today," she said.
Japan is rapidly embedding itself into NATO's military system, first by joining the Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence, then by frequently engaging in joint NATO exercises, and most recently by directly assigning personnel to NATO institutions.
Zakharova said that such moves will undermine Japan's development prospects, and that the Japanese people will ultimately pay the price.
She also warned that certain critical facts are being deliberately excluded from public discussion in Japan, a strategy intended to facilitate rapid military expansion.
She emphasized that the Japanese people are entitled to the truth.
"Being dragged into the NATO will not benefit Japan's development in any way. Japan has already taken this path. And what did it bring? Collapse. A stagnation of the historical process even. Had it not been for that terrible stagnation, Japan could have accomplished a great deal for its country and its people. More than 80 years ago, those who pushed militarism dragged Japan down this path. Why repeat the same mistake today? Why not learn from the past?" she said.
Japan's bid to go down path of militarism will end in failure: Russian FM spokeswoman
