The Port of San Diego has a broad maritime business portfolio, including dry bulk, refrigerated goods and other forms of cargo.
2025 versus May 2024, ending 14 consecutive months of month-over-month growth. The decline in May volumes reflect, in part, tariff uncertainty impacts to shipping decisions. Full international exports decreased 10.7%. Total container volume (international and domestic) for the month reached 250,851 TEUs, down 9.4% compared to May 2024. YTD volumes are up 10.2%, with full imports growing 12% and full exports declining 2.5%.
However, one ray of light was the Port of San Diego. Its strategy of diversification is once again helping it to weather the storm, as it did during the Covid-19 pandemic. “Our various revenue streams have shown
it to be a wise business model when it comes to volatility in our industry, keeping both of our terminals at Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal and National City Marine Terminal from suffering the extreme impacts of things like Covid and tariffs,” says Michael LaFleur, chief operations officer. “As we saw during the supply chain issues during the pandemic, terminals that are dependent on container cargo experienced the most impacts. Less than 5% of our business is tied to China, and we receive minimal container cargo at our terminals.” The port has a broad maritime business portfolio that includes dry bulk, refrigerated cargo, RORO, and specialty or project cargo. Crucially, San Diego also has a designated foreign trade zone (FTZ). These zones operate outside of US Customs territory, meaning that businesses within the FTA can benefit from reduced or deferred tariffs on goods entering the country.
“At this juncture of the various tariffs that have been placed on goods coming from several countries including China, the Port of San Diego is not experiencing a decrease in business,” he adds. “We will continue to monitor the ever-changing landscape of fees and tariffs that impact the movement of goods closely.”
Equipment providers Naturally, tariffs are already impacting the order books for some material handling providers, while others say they are unaffected. “We’ve observed a noticeable slowdown in demand for container handling equipment, which aligns with the decline in cargo volumes moving through US ports,” says Andrew Ryan, president of LiuGong North America. “Tariff uncertainty and shifting trade patterns have caused many port operators to pause or delay capital equipment investments as they reassess long-term needs under evolving global trade scenarios.”
However, he says that LiuGong views this as a period of recalibration rather than a permanent shift. While Chinese manufacturers are more exposed at present to tariffs, the company anticipates a renewed focus on equipment upgrades, efficiency improvements and sustainability investments at the port level. “Regardless of the current climate, we
remain committed to being a reliable, forward- thinking partner for the North American market,” he adds. “We’re continuing to build out our container handling portfolio and
strengthening our support infrastructure so that, when port operators are ready to invest, we have the right solutions and the service network to support their success.” Conversely, Liebherr Maritime Cranes has not seen a significant drop in demand. “In fact, interest remains steady,” says the company, “particularly in equipment that supports energy efficiency, automation and reduced emissions. Ports are looking ahead, and we are there to help them stay ready. This is not just about recovery but about building long- term resilience”.
Liebherr says it is focused on supporting ports with equipment that delivers long- term value, regardless of short-term market fluctuations. While it is aware that tariffs can influence global trade volumes, its experience shows that many ports continue to invest strategically in their infrastructure.
STS cranes issue Of particular concern to ports and terminals are tariffs on Chinese-made STS cranes. Davis testified in a hearing before the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) in May, in a bid to reverse them. In official comments submitted to the Federal Register, Davis said: “Applying a new 100% tariff to Chinese STS cranes will not create a domestic crane manufacturing industry out of thin air. It will only increase costs for public port authorities.”
He added, “Raising tariffs on Chinese cranes another 100% will not magically revitalise an American crane manufacturing industry
www.hoistmagazine.com | August 2025 | xv
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