Southern California may be known for its celebrities and glamour, but the real action was about 40 miles from Hollywood, dominated by highly visible coveralls and hard hats.
For the past 25 years, the San Pedro Bayport Complex, consisting of the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, has been a world famous for shipping and an economic driver of California’s large economy. Around 15,000 longshore workers, the busiest ports in the Western Hemisphere and one of the busiest ports in the world, usually shift 24 hours a day, moving billions of dollars worth of cargo into cars, agriculture, auto parts, toys, clothing and furniture.
However, this week, the port is shining a little brighter. About a third of the port’s traffic will be stopped as a result of the Trump administration’s decision to impose imports on a minimum of 10% tariffs (and a much higher tax for goods from 57 countries).
With more than 70% of dock workers living within a 10-mile radius of the complex, the waterfront communities in San Pedro, Wilmington and Long Beach in LA are expected to be the first hit of slowdowns, said Gary Herrera, president of International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) local 13.
“One of the five jobs in Southern California is tied to the port — warehouse workers, truckers, logistic teams, etc.” said Herrera, who has been a virtuous worker since 1998. Herrera is called the inland empire of LA, including Riverside and San Bernardino, which provides as Warehous Centers that provide centers as Warehous Centers such as Amart such as Walmart and Amerton, and Amazon-like reports such as Amazon-like Amazon-like reports. Freight railways are also seriously affected.
What happens at the port doesn’t just stay at the port, reverberated to longtime labor activist and former Port of Los Angeles commissioner Diane Middleton. “The cargo coming here will be sent to all 435 US Congressional districts anyway. Everyone in the US will feel this.”
Ports that handle 40% of all containerized imports into the country are widely seen as a precursor to the entire US economy. Dock was amazed during the months leading up to the election and inauguration. The large retailers in particular were frontloading. This was because they were raising the product out of fear of the future. With the tariffs here, experts say front-loaded stock only lasts 6-8 weeks.
Trump, who has issued the strictest tariffs on China, Vietnam and Cambodia, calls his April 2nd announcement “liberation day.” But for those who are quickly affected, chaos and anxiety are better ways to explain it.
Trump has issued dizzying statements, and sometimes even suggests that certain tariffs may not last, Middleton noted. “He says, ‘I’m negotiating 200 deals, and I’ll have a deal with China soon,'” Middleton said. “And the Chinese say, “We haven’t spoken to anyone.” So there is a contradiction and who do you believe? ”
Vivian Maraul, a longshore worker at Nightshift, believes in what she sees. “When a ship is docked into the Berth, we are busy. There are mannings, temporary work, job hunting, 24-hour operations during the day and overnight, and there is something called “foot.” “Currently, there are few imports and few ships calling terminals,” said Marauul, who is also a 13 local officer.
Workers who previously recorded full workers have already been reduced to three or four shifts. She and her colleagues are used to the job of all paying union members and now they are fastening their wallet strings. It eliminates the luxury of family outings and entertainment. “There’s definitely concern at the dock,” Marauol said.
Based on the West Coast, Ilwu has a long history of supporting progressive ideas. Vice President Ilwu Brandi Good spoke briefly at Bernie Sanders’ recent “Standing To Oligarchy” rally in downtown Los Angeles, along with several other union representatives.
However, Maraul said not all individual members rejected Trump. He was not even a counterpart of Ilw on the East Coast – International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA). Ira President Harold Daggett made a well-published visit with Trump in Mar a Lago.
“Some members were drawn to Trump because they sounded like many working-class Americans around the country, like he was talking directly to them,” Marauol said. She said the message about “reclaiming work,” “hard in China,” and protecting the American industry felt it was in line with labor values. Maraul says that too many people didn’t take the time to actually delve into Trump’s policies and potential impacts. Now they are experiencing results.
But Herrera hopes that the focus among dock workers can remain strong and unity. Due to its California location, the port here gets more traffic from Asia. However, all US ports and strength workers are affected negatively. They need to stick together, he says.
“We are the most resilient workforce in the world. During the community pandemic, we were unable to work remotely, so we kept the world’s cargo moving. Now, in this situation, at the end of the day, we hope that at the end of the day, American workers, blue-collar workers, that’s about the injury and consumers and the community.
However, the waterfront situation does not seem to be resolved anytime soon. In mid-April, the Trump administration announced new rules that will gradually progressively gradualize port fares for many vessels built in China. Jamieson Greer, head of the US Trade Representative (USTR), which created the rules, said the fees were designed to “reverse China’s control, address threats to the US supply chain, and send demand signals for US construction vessels.”
According to the USTR lawsuit, the first phase will be $50 per net tonne per airline, increasing to $140 per net tonne by April 17, 2028, amounting to millions, but will be charged up to five times a year per ship, according to the USTR lawsuit. The charges will be dialed after they are first floated by the Trump administration, and there may be additional carvouts, but Beijing is still vowing to retaliate.
The Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach have tripled the expected number of blank sails. The port projects a total blank voyage this month, from 10 to 30 in April.
“The men and women in Ilw are strong and resilient. We are used to the peaks and valleys, so for now we are trying to stay as positive as possible,” Herrera said. “When we get back at work, we’ll be here.”