Trump tariffs could sink thousands of port jobs, Longshore Union warns

Posted on April 29, 2025   |  

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has called former President Donald Trump’s trade policies “reckless” and “shortsighted.”

ILWU strongly opposes the newly imposed tariffs, saying they will cause massive job losses and raise prices for working-class Americans.

The union reminds the public that tariffs act as taxes and usually hit workers and families the hardest while benefiting the ultra-wealthy.

Due to reciprocal tariffs from China, containerized imports to West Coast ports are sharply declining.

This trade slowdown threatens jobs—hundreds of thousands rely on global trade, especially between the U.S. and China.

ILWU warns that the strained trade relationship between the two largest economies could lead to severe job cuts in the supply chain.

The union represents 42,000 dockworkers across the U.S. and Canada.

ILWU notes that during past tariff surges in 2018 and 2019, the costs were passed on to American consumers—not absorbed by Chinese exporters.

The union argues that current tariffs will likely have the same effect, hurting everyday Americans without fixing trade imbalances.