LOS ANGELES, Sept 17 (Reuters) - U.S. retailers have

wrapped up imports of holiday goods at least a month early in a

bid to limit costs tied to President Donald Trump's evolving

tariff policies, the top executive at the nation's busiest

seaport said on Wednesday.

"Much of the year-end holiday cargo has already arrived and

is working its way through the national supply chain system,"

said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

The traditional retail-led holiday surge ahead of Christmas,

known as the peak season, came early, he said.

Retailers account for about half of the volume at the Port

of Los Angeles. In July, the port notched the highest total

monthly cargo volume in its 117-year history with 1,019,837

20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) handled by dockworkers.

August total volume was 958,355 TEUs, down 0.2% from a year

ago, at the Port of Los Angeles.

Seroka expects import volume to ease through the remainder

of the year. September is shaping up to be roughly 850,000 TEUs,

about 10% softer than a year earlier, he said.

Several trends are pointing to a ho-hum 2025 holiday season,

forecasters said.

The National Retail Federation, representing companies like

Walmart ( WMT ) and Target ( TGT ), this month said it expected

container imports to steadily decline for the remainder of the

year due to rising U.S. tariffs.

"Shifting trade policies continue to create uncertainty for

businesses and consumers," said Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port

of Long Beach, which abuts the Port of Los Angeles.

That is contributing to slowing job growth and lingering

inflation, which are making importers and consumers just a

little more cautious, Seroka said.

U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in August,

marking the third consecutive month of gains against the

backdrop of a tariff-fueled price increases.

But a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey released this month

showed that holiday spending by U.S. consumers is set for its

steepest drop since the pandemic as shoppers - particularly Gen

Z - pull back amid economic uncertainty.