According to Reuters, the head of the busiest U.S. port said on Wednesday that retailers rushed to import holiday at least a month early to cut costs related to President Trump's evolving tariff policy.

"The vast majority of the year-end holiday goods have arrived and are moving the supply chain across the country," said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.

The holiday shopping season, which is traditionally led by the retail, has come early this year.

Retail cargo makes up about half of the Port of Los Angeles' total volume. In July, the port handled 1,09,837 TEUs, the highest monthly total in the port's 117-year history.

In August, total cargo volume at the Port Los Angeles was 958,355 TEUs, a decrease of 0.2% year-over-year.

Seroka projects a slowdown in imports the remainder of the year. He said that about 850,000 TEUs are expected to be handled in September, down about 10% from the period last year.

Forecasters say the holiday season in 2025 will be lackluster, owing to a variety of trends.

This month, U.S. National Retail Federation, which represents companies like Walmart (WMT.N) and Target (TGT.N), said it expects container imports to continue to for the remainder of the year due to the ongoing increase in U.S. tariffs.

"The constant changes in trade policy create uncertainty for businesses and consumers," said Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, which neighbors the Port of Los Angeles.

This has led to slower job growth and persistent inflation, making both importers consumers more cautious, Seroka said.

U.S. retail sales in August rose more than expected, marking the third straight month of growth, although this was achieved against backdrop of tariffs pushing up prices.

But a survey released this month by multinational accounting firm PwC showed that holiday spending by U.S. consumers is expected to decline the most since 2019 due to economic uncertainty.