Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has convened a roundtable meeting with goods movement, labour, and business leaders to discuss the impact of tariffs on the Port of Los Angeles and the broader business environment.
Mayor Bass signalled her strong support for the Port of Los Angeles during this period of economic uncertainty, noting that Los Angeles remains open for business and will continue to be a stable and reliable partner.
This period of global uncertainty on federal trade policy has impacted the workforce, operations at the port and the financial outlook for both the national and local economy.
During the roundtable, terminal operators, labour leaders, railroad representatives, supply chain industry stakeholders and the broader business community expressed concerns over how this uncertainty and unpredictability are disrupting trade, private investment, and have increased concern about job stability and growth.
40 per cent of US imports move through the Port of Los Angeles, supporting one million jobs throughout the LA region and 2.7 million jobs nationally. Mayor Bass will closely monitor the evolving nature of federal trade and fiscal policy, advocating in the best interests of Angelenos, small and local businesses in the city.
“With the Port of Los Angeles standing as the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere, the unpredictability of federal trade policy is felt deeply throughout our city,” said Bass.
“Millions of Angelenos rely on the Port not just for products, but for good-paying jobs. The City of Los Angeles stands firm with the Port of LA, its employees and all Angelenos. Los Angeles remains open for business.”
“The chaos of these ever-changing tariffs creates real economic harm at the Port of Los Angeles and throughout the district I represent,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker.
“Uncertainty and a lack of coherent trade policy have slowed ship calls, impacted jobs, and the livelihoods of our residents. And it’s both an unforced error and a self-inflicted wound. There’s no reason that American workers, from the docks to the warehouses, from trains to trucks, should bear the burden of unpredictability that no one in Washington, D.C. can explain.
“Today, alongside Mayor Bass, Gene Seroka, the Port of L.A., labour leaders, and our business community, we discussed the real-life impact of these tariffs and stood up to the federal government to say clearly: you are hurting our communities, and we all deserve better.”
Earlier this May, the Port of Los Angeles announced it would continue its investment for the next three years on clean trucks and supporting infrastructure to help transition the drayage fleet serving the port to zero-emission (ZE) models by 2035.
