LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass today convened a roundtable meeting with key goods movement industry leaders, labor leaders and local business leaders to hear directly from them about the effect that tariffs are having on the Port of Los Angeles and the broader business environment. Mayor Bass signaled 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. B-roll from the event available here.
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, labor leaders, railroad representatives, supply chain industry stakeholders and the broader business community expressed concern over how this uncertainty and unpredictability is disrupting trade, private investment and has increased concern about job stability and growth.
“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 Mayor Karen 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 L.A., 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. Uncertainty and a lack of coherent trade policy has slowed ship calls, impacted jobs, and the livelihoods of our residents. And, it’s both an unforced error and 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,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker. “Today, alongside Mayor Bass, Gene Seroka, the Port of L.A., labor 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.”
The Port of Los Angeles is the busiest container port in Western Hemisphere and has been ranked as the No. 1 container port for 25 consecutive years with record volumes for containerized trade. 40% of U.S. import moves through the Port, 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 for Angelenos, small and local businesses in the city.