LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Port of Los Angeles (POLA) handled 883,053 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in September, down 7.5 percent year on year, the port authority said Wednesday.

According to the monthly data from the busiest seaport in the United States, loaded imports totaled 460,044 TEUs, a decrease of 7.6 percent from a year earlier, while loaded exports stood at 114,693 TEUs, roughly the same as in 2024. The port also processed 308,317 empty containers last month, 10 percent fewer than a year ago.

The data showed that imports through POLA fell for the second consecutive month in September, even as overall third-quarter cargo volumes reached a record high.

Industry insiders predict that current U.S. trade policies could cause monthly import volumes at major container ports to drop below the 2 million TEU mark for the rest of the year.

Gene Seroka, executive director of POLA, warned that U.S. trade policies are driving "more unpredictability." He noted that when tariff hikes were first announced, importers halted orders from China, but shipments rebounded when deadlines were extended. "The supply chain has been on a roller coaster all year and that ride continues," he said.

"Tariffs in one area tend to lead to rising prices in other segments. In the end, making goods more expensive," he added.

A report released on Oct.8 by the National Retail Federation and the Hackett Associates said the peak import season has passed as retailers preloaded shipments before new tariffs. It projected that major U.S. ports could see 1.97 million TEUs in October, down 12.3 percent year on year, 1.75 million in November, down 19.2 percent, and 1.72 million in December, dropping 19.4 percent -- the lowest since March 2023.

"Ongoing volatility in U.S. tariff policy is creating significant uncertainty," said Ben Hackett, founder of the Hackett Associates. "As those stockpiles are depleted, the full inflationary impact of the tariffs will become apparent."