New data from the Port of Los Angeles shows that commitments made by China to buy more U.S. agricultural products as part of a trade bargain between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump have yet to materialize, and that has contributed to a decline in cargo volume to near a three-year low for the nation’s busiest port.
Total processed cargo volume at the Port of Los Angeles in January was down by approximately 12% year over year, with Gene Seroka, executive director for the Port of Los Angeles, citing a decline in agricultural exports as among the major factors. “Exports to China look dismal,” he said.
Exports to China have dropped considerably across the country’s major ports, with containerized exports down 26% last year, according to data shared by the Port of Los Angeles. Los Angeles took a big hit on the crucial agricultural export of soybeans, according to Seroka.
In early 2026, President Trump announced China was considering purchasing an additional eight million metric tons of U.S. soybeans (totaling 20 million) for the current season, following the October 2025 agreement to buy 12 million tons.
Soybeans coming out of the Port of Los Angeles to China were down 80% last year, and no improvement was seen in either November or December after the initial discussions between the U.S. and China.
