U.S. businesses at the Port of Long Beach are expressing cautious optimism after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs, with importers and shippers welcoming the pause in higher duties while bracing for possible policy shifts ahead.
The court ruled on Friday that the administration's imposition of tariffs on trading partners under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) is illegal.
"You don't know how happy we are and also the Cambodian people. We know that there's a lot of garments that export from Cambodia to United States, and tariffs are hitting hard but like you said, if the tariffs are canceled -- I hope it's true -- that is going to be made Cambodian people very happy back home," said Sithea San, secretary of the Long Beach Phnom Penh Sister Cities Organization.
Over a thousand companies are already exploring legal ways to claim their refund from the total of nearly 200 billion U.S. dollars paid in tariffs.
Meanwhile, U.S. shipping companies are gearing up for renewed momentum in cross-ocean trade.
"When these tariffs get relaxed, with the threat of maybe more tariffs coming down the road, the thing that I can guarantee is people start to bring a lot of goods into the country, which creates an immediate surge, surge in demand," said Weston Labar, chief strategy officer at Waterfront Logistics.
Such an import surge could lead to short-term congestion and capacity constraints at major gateway ports such as Long Beach and Los Angeles.
Experts note that inflationary pressures do not immediately reverse when tariffs are lifted, and with global trade remaining unsettled, consumer prices may stay elevated for months to come. Labar said, in fact, he thinks people are going to continue to see prices increase as companies continue to pursue profit.
US importers, logistics firms cautiously optimistic as Supreme Court rules Trump's tariffs illegal
