Los Angeles — Chinese imports to US ports rose more than expected in June, suggesting that some retailers moved up orders to insulate themselves from a trade war that threatens to send up costs on a growing number of consumer products. Retailers such as Walmart and Amazon face uncertainty due to US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose more tariffs on Chinese goods, and the jump in imports from the country was likely because of "pre-emptive buying in anticipation of the tariffs", said Ben Hackett, founder of maritime consultancy Hackett Associates. The US container port peak season is traditionally driven by orders for Chinese-made clothing, electronics and toys for the back-to-school season running from June to September, and then the winter holiday season. The volume of loaded shipping containers from China to all US ports was up 6.3% in June from a year earlier after falling 6.9% in May and 3.9% in April, said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, the bu...
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