The volume of imported goods into the US is expected to decrease after the August 1 tariff increase deadline.

Posted on: 23/07/2025

According to the Director of the Port of Los Angeles (USA), Gene Seroka, the volume of cargo transported through this port increased sharply in June and the first half of July 2025. The reason is that domestic businesses continue to increase imports of goods to stockpile before the new reciprocal tariffs of President Trump will take effect on August 1.

However, Mr. Seroka predicted that goods imported into the US may decrease sharply after August 1. He analyzed that President Trump has sent a series of letters announcing tariffs to partner countries and threatened to increase the basic reciprocal tax rate above the current level of 10%. Therefore, he said that this may be the last time that US businesses increase their stockpiling of goods before the reciprocal tax takes effect.

Container hàng hóa được xếp tại cảng Long Beach, California, Mỹ
Cargo containers are loaded at Long Beach port, California, USA. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Citing a report from the National Retail Federation, Mr. Seroka said that the volume of imported goods into the US market is expected to decrease by about 10.4% in August 2025 and then decrease by nearly 20% in September 2025. However, he noted that this report only updated the letters that Mr. Trump sent before July 9, not taking into account the threats to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada or Brazil - countries that have just been announced by President Trump for new tariffs. Therefore, he analyzed that the actual volume of imported goods may decrease more than expected.

Mr. Seroka shared that many businesses in the US supply chain have expressed concerns about changes in President Trump's trade policy. He said that US businesses are confused, not knowing where to import more from and how much is enough.