*

Port of Los Angeles expects slight uptick in bookings, not

a

surge

*

May imports reflect previous 145% tariffs, impacting port

volumes

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Walmart ( WMT ) to raise prices, reduce orders due to tariff costs

By Lisa Baertlein

LOS ANGELES, May 19 (Reuters) - The head of the busiest

U.S. port does not expect imports to soar after last week's

tariff truce between Washington and Beijing that temporarily

lowered the duty to 30% from 145%.

"You won't see a deluge of freight here at the Port of Los

Angeles," Gene Seroka, executive director of the port that is

also No. 1 for trade with China, said in a briefing on Monday.

"What we'll see is a little bit of an uptick in bookings in

Asia," Seroka said of reservations on cargo ships headed for the

port.

That rise likely will be linked to importers scooping up

cargo that was manufactured before the U.S. imposed the 145%

tariffs last month, rather than to new orders that may not be

ready when the 90-day reprieve closes, he said.

The Port of Los Angeles and the adjacent Port of Long Beach

handle 31% of U.S. sea trade and are a barometer for U.S.

economic activity. They handle everything from incoming toys,

apparel and auto parts to outgoing raw cotton and pet and animal

feed.

The coming volume uptick follows a sharp drop in bookings

after the United States imposed on April 9 the 145% import

duties on China - its largest marine trading partner.

It takes a few weeks for the effects to show up at U.S.

ports, so May imports reflect the escalation to 145% tariffs.

During the first 15 days of this month, 74 container ships

arrived at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, 11 fewer

than usual, according to data from Marine Exchange of Southern

California.

"The May volume drop is likely to be substantial when we

close the books on this month," said Seroka, who declined to

make a specific forecast.

Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero said on Thursday he

expected a more than a 10% drop-off in imports in May.

Consumers drive retail demand that accounts for nearly half

of container shipping volume.

U.S. consumers will see prices rise as importers pass on the

extra cost of tariffs.

Walmart ( WMT ), the nation's largest retailer and the

biggest user of container shipping, said it would raise prices

starting at the end of May and would pare orders for goods

shoppers will not pay more for.