A 90-day pause to tariffs Monday between the United States and China drew praise Monday from officials at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The two countries agreed to temporarily lower tariffs as negotiations continue.
The U.S. will reduce its tariffs on Chinese products from 145% to 30%, and China plans to drop its tax on American goods from 125% to 10%.
“The 90-day pause and reduction of tariffs between the United States and China is welcome news for consumers, American businesses, workers and the supply chain,” Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, said in a statement posted on X. “Even with this announcement, tariffs remain elevated compared to April 1. To avoid further uncertainty and disruption of trade, both sides should work together swiftly toward a long-term agreement.”
Seroka said the U.S. should also work with other nations to reduce existing tariffs.
He told The Wall Street Journal that despite the tariff reduction, he does not expect a significant increase in imports, forecasting a 25% year-over-year decline in import volume at the port in May.
City and port officials spoke to reporters Monday in Long Beach, highlighting a new economic impact analysis of the last five years and observing that the port’s successes were undercut by President Donald Trump’s tariffs enacted in April.
Mario Cordero, Port of Long Beach executive director, said while the U.S.-China negotiations are an encouraging step, “uncertainty remains, and I think what this industry is calling for is that we have certainty and clarity with regard to what that tariff policy looks like in the mid- and long-term.”
The tariffs are impacting a variety of electronics and household appliances and “with significantly reduced cargo volumes, it’s likely that the consumer will have fewer choices,” Cordero added.
Gary Herrera, president of International Longshore Warehouse Union Local 13, which represents nearly 9,000 full work and 6,000 part-time dockworkers, talked about tariffs’ impact on jobs.
“We’re seeing cargo volumes drop to record lows to the point where there (are) hundreds of jobs daily with less work opportunities afforded to the men and women with ILWU,” Herrera said. “We are the front-liners. Once the cargo volumes drop, we’re the first to see it.”
Union members who are part-time workers must find other jobs or work in different industries, Herrera said.
“We’re hoping for some real numbers, some real agreements that are signed and dated and move us forward, not with pauses,” Herrera said.
According to Trump, tariffs are necessary to balance trade, boost the waning U.S. manufacturing sector, reduce illegal immigration and human trafficking, reduce the federal budget and restore fairness in trade relationships.
“We’ve had free trade, and as you said, that has not worked for the American people,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said at a media briefing Monday in Geneva. “There’s something called the ‘China shock,’ which has gutted our manufacturing sector. … They subsidize labor, they subsidize capital goods, and they have exported that to us and to the rest of the world. We have put up tariffs to push back on that, so it will be a matter of what is the equilibrium level on tariffs and also getting China to open their markets for American companies.”
Administration officials also said the tariff negotiations included discussions on fentanyl.
“This is a priority for President Trump and, indeed, the whole administration,” Bessent said. “Hundreds of thousands of Americans die every year and I think that we saw here in Geneva that the Chinese are now serious about assisting the U.S. in stopping the flow of precursor drugs.”
The temporary tariff reductions will start Wednesday, according to the White House.
