Despite seeing record volumes in June, the Port of Los Angeles is expecting a "bumpy ride ahead" for U.S. businesses in the face of shifting tariff deadlines and mounting pressure on global supply chains. 

The Port of Los Angeles reported an 8% year-over-year increase in cargo volumes in June, with imports jumping 32% from May, when many shippers had paused orders in response to growing trade tensions between the U.S. and China. After the two countries agreed to a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, retailers rushed to move goods into the U.S. to take advantage of the reprieve. But now that President Trump has moved the deadline for reciprocal tariffs against dozens of other countries to August 1, "uncertainty reigns," said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka during a July 14 media briefing.

"Shifting timelines simply means shifting volume, and more uncertainty at the Port of LA," Seroka said, predicting that lower inventories and higher prices are likely to become the norm headed into the holiday shopping season. That's because retailers are unlikely to continue bringing in high volumes of goods without better assurances from the White House regarding tariff deadlines that have been delayed on numerous occasions.

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Yedi Houseware president Bobby Djavaheri spoke to those concerns during the port's briefing, describing how his business — which imports houseware products from China to sell directly to U.S. consumers and large retailers — faces massively increased costs due to tariffs.

"It's been extremely difficult," he said. "Small-to-medium-size businesses are collateral damage here."

According to Djavaheri, Yedi has had to raise its prices for consumers and retailers by around 10%, and has been forced to absorb the rest of the added costs since it's "simply impossible to pass all of it on." Although he doesn't expect any additional price increases for the rest of the year, he's also carefully picking and choosing the inventory Yedi will bring in moving forward. For the remainder of 2025, Djavaheri predicts that imports of smaller electric appliances such as air fryers and rice cookers will be cut in half, while dinnerware imports will be down by 20-30%.

And while some companies have sought to diversify their manufacturing away from China to avoid higher tariff rates, houseware companies like Yedi also aren't set up to operate that way, Djavaheri said, as there are few, if any, countries outside of China that have the infrastructure to churn out hundreds of thousands of air fryers in a year at the same quality and standards.

"Whether you like it or not, everything is made in China," he said.

In the meantime, the White House's approach to trade continues to be a moving target. On July 12, Trump threatened both the European Union and Mexico with 30% tariffs, while at least 14 other nations face rates as high as 40% ahead of the August 1 deadline to negotiate new trade deals. 

If that deadline holds — which is far from guaranteed — Seroka expects a drop-off in cargo volumes starting in August, with many businesses having already front-loaded enough inventory to get them through the next few months, and the National Retail Federation projecting double-digit year-over-year dips in import volumes at U.S. ports in each month between August and November. As a result, holiday shoppers across all sectors aren't likely to see the level of inventory and selection they're accustomed to, Seroka added.