Official data indicates that total container throughput in May reached 716,619 TEUs, a 5% decrease year-on-year. Notably, import containers totaled only 355,950 TEUs, representing a 9% decrease from the same period last year and a steep 19% drop compared to April, marking the largest month-on-month decrease since early 2023. Exports also fell by 5%, marking the sixth consecutive month of decline.
Port Executive Director Gene Seroka commented “May was our weakest month for cargo volume in over two years. Without comprehensive, long-term trade agreements, consumers may face higher prices and fewer product choices during the upcoming holiday season.”
The most significant impact on import flows stems from elevated U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods with certain items facing duties as high as 145%. Amid a lack of clarity on when trade tensions might ease, importers have adopted a cautious approach, significantly delaying or reducing shipments to the U.S.
Additionally, the decline in container traffic has directly impacted the Southern California economy. The average number of daily ship calls dropped to five, down sharply from the pre-decline average of 12 per day. This has resulted in nearly a 50% reduction in labor demand, severely affecting employment in the local logistics and maritime transport sectors.
Transportation experts forecast that cargo volumes at the Port of Los Angeles may continue to languish during the summer months if tariff barriers remain unresolved. Although some duties have been temporarily adjusted to 30%, analysts warn that the impact on consumer prices and logistics costs will persist. Ernie Tedeschi, Chief Economist at Yale Budget Lab, estimates that the new tariffs are driving up consumer prices by approximately 1.5%, costing U.S. households nearly $2,500 in annual purchasing power, with low-income groups hit hardest.
The decline in cargo throughput at the Port of Los Angeles, which handles over 20% of the U.S.’s containerized import value, serves as a warning signal for global supply chains. Amid mounting international trade barriers, stable tariff policies and long-term trade agreements are seen as critical to revitalizing logistics activity and sustaining growth momentum in the second half of 2025.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On July 9, 2026, the Embassy of Vietnam in Brazil organized the seminar titled “Sharing Information on Vietnam-Brazil Economic, Trade and Investment Relations in the First Half of 2026” to provide updates on bilateral cooperation and strengthen connections among government agencies, industry associations, and business communities of the two countries.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Seafood exports in the first 6 months of the year continued to be a bright spot with a total turnover of 5.7 billion USD, an increase of 11.4% compared to the same period last year. By commodity group, seafood is one of the three groups with a trade balance in the first 6 months of 2026 in a surplus state with 4.13 billion USD, an increase of 17%.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) For many years, Vietnam’s seafood industry has been recognized as one of the country’s key export pillars. Products such as shrimp, pangasius, tuna, squid, octopus, and a wide range of other seafood have reached hundreds of markets worldwide. Yet behind these impressive export figures lies a significant challenge: a substantial share of Vietnam’s seafood export value still comes from minimally processed products, contract manufacturing, and raw material exports—segments characterized by low profit margins and high vulnerability to fluctuations in global prices.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the context of a global economy shifting powerfully toward green and sustainable values, Vietfish 2026 is far more than just a commercial trade fair. It has become a strategic rendezvous and a "comprehensive ecosystem"—a convergence of value, knowledge, and sustainable growth opportunities for the entire industry chain.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s pangasius exports to Colombia continued their strong upward momentum in May 2026. Export value to the market reached USD 4 million, up 24% compared to the same month in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first five months of 2026 totaled USD 24 million, an impressive 48% increase year-on-year.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Hai Phong's aquaculture sector is accelerating the adoption of high technologies in aquaculture to adapt to climate change, with red tilapia and tilapia identified as the key cultured species for priority development.
(vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached nearly US$1.1 billion in June 2026, up 21.0% year-on-year. Cumulative exports in the first half of 2026 totaled nearly US$5.8 billion, representing a 12.8% increase compared with the same period last year. Exports to China and Hong Kong continued to accelerate, while shipments to the United States rebounded strongly in June. In contrast, exports to the EU, Japan, and the Middle East remained sluggish or recorded slight declines.
(vasep.com.vn) Tilapia is playing an increasingly important role in Vietnam’s aquaculture sector, driven not only by growing market opportunities but also by its ability to meet increasingly stringent requirements on quality, food safety, and traceability. In practice, tilapia farming in Vietnam is not a spontaneous or loosely regulated activity; rather, it operates under a comprehensive legal and technical framework covering the entire value chain—from hatcheries and farming to processing and exports.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s shrimp exports reached USD 1.9 billion in the first five months of 2026, up 12% compared with the same period last year. Amid continued volatility in the global seafood market, this result demonstrates that the shrimp sector has maintained positive growth momentum, supported by improving demand in several Asian markets, particularly China.
(seafood.vasep.com.vn) On June 16, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ca Mau Province announced that the locality has established a farming area code for nearly 30,400 hectares of mud crab aquaculture and granted export facility codes to five enterprises eligible to export mud crab officially to markets such as China, Cambodia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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