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On Friday morning, West Coast port officials told CNN about a startling sight: Not a single cargo vessel had left China with goods for the two major West Coast ports in the past 12 hours. That hasnft happened since the pandemic.
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Six days ago, 41 vessels were scheduled to depart China for the San Pedro Bay Complex, which encompasses both the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach in California. On Friday, it was zero.
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President Donald Trumpfs trade war imposed massive tariffs on most Chinese imports last month. Thatfs led to fewer ships at sea carrying less cargo to Americafs ports. For many businesses, it is now too expensive to do business with China, one of Americafs most important trading partners.
Officials are concerned not just about the lack of vessels leaving China, but the speed at which that number dropped.
gThatfs cause for alarm,h said Mario Cordero, the CEO of the Port of Long Beach. gWe are now seeing numbers in excess of what we witnessed in the pandemich for cancellations and fewer vessel arrivals.
The busiest ports in the country are experiencing steep declines in cargo. The Port of Long Beach is seeing a 35-40% drop compared to normal cargo volume. The Port of Los Angeles had a 31% drop in volume this week, and the Port of New York and Jersey says itfs also bracing for a slowdown. On Wednesday, the Port of Seattle said it had zero container ships in the port, another anomaly that hasnft happened since the pandemic.
gThatfs because just nothing is being shipped over,h port commissioner Ryan Calkins told CNNfs Kaitlan Collins.
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