By Hugh Cameron Newsweek
A union representing West Coast dock workers has decried President Donald Trump's tariffs as a "direct attack on the working class," and said that the duties have already begun to damage critical sectors of the U.S. economy.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Trade Representative via email for comment outside of business hours.
Why It Matters
The president's trade policies, both the recent reciprocal tariffs and previous measures targeting metals and auto imports, have received support from many unions, which have praised them as necessary to amend global trade balances and increase the competitiveness of domestic industry.
However, there is growing discontent among the sectors likely to feel the impacts of the drastic increase in import taxes and rising prices, with the logistics sector the latest to claim that the tariffs will wreak havoc on their industry and the economy at large.
What To Know
"We demand fair trade policies that put working class Americans first, protect jobs, and reduce taxes on the American people, not trade policies dictated by a president's whims," the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) said in a policy statement.
"The ILWU stands strong in the fight for fair trade policies that protect American workers and sustain economic growth. We refuse to accept policies that destroy jobs, inflate costs, and sell out the working class. We call on every worker, every union, and every person who believes in economic justice to stand with us against these Trump tariffs."
In its statement, the ILWU said that the tariffs on Chinese imports, recently raised to 145 percent, had instigated "a de facto trade war" between the world's two largest economies, and warned that this will impact the "hundreds of thousands of jobs" connected to global trade.
West Coast ports have already witnessed a dramatic decline in shipments from Asia as a result of the tariffs. According to a recent study by maritime research platform Sea-Intelligence, the number of canceled voyages booked for the period April 14 to May 11 rose from the equivalent of approximately 60,000 containers in late March to 367,800 in the second week of April.
Manish Kapoor, CEO and founder of logistics consultancy Growth Catalyst Group, told Newsweek that this decline will "not just impact port employees, but also affect other jobs in logistics, such as truck drivers, warehouse workers, supply chain managers and more.
"Eventually, most of these goods make it to the roadways, meaning disruptions will trickle through the entire supply chain."
He added that his customers were "actively seeking alternative sourcing options in other countries," but that this transition "is complex and cannot happen overnight. Until supply chains fully adjust, businesses and consumers will continue to face pressures."
While the ILWU said that decades of free trade agreements had "negatively impacted American workers," it criticized Trump's approach to addressing this as "haphazard and destructive," while warning that the costs of food, energy and household goods would rise as a result.
Similar warnings have been issued by associations representing the retail and home construction sectors, while the United Auto Workers union (UAW)-which had previously voice its support for "aggressive tariff action to protect American manufacturing jobs"-has recently offered a more critical view on Trump's import duties.
"We support some use of tariffs on auto manufacturing and similar industries. We do not support tariffs for political games about immigration or fentanyl," UAW president Shawn Fain said in an address to members on April 10.
What People Are Saying
The ILWU, in a policy statement, said: "The International Longshore and Warehouse Union unequivocally condemns the recent tariffs that the Trump administration has imposed. Tariffs are taxes. These and other reckless, shortsighted policies have begun to devastate American workers, harm critical sectors of the economy, and line the pockets of the ultra-wealthy at the expense of hardworking families.
"The tariffs have also sown distrust among our allies and inflamed geopolitical tensions. These tariffs are nothing more than a direct attack on the working class and should be opposed outright."
Veronique de Rugy, a political economist at George Mason University, in response to the decline in trans-Pacific shipping, told Newsweek: "This kind of sharp drop means that a wide range of American industries-not just retail, but also manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and wholesale sectors-will feel the consequences.
"Most of what we import are inputs used in domestic production. It means higher costs for domestic companies. When fewer goods come in, truck drivers, dockworkers, warehouse employees, freight handlers, and even many small businesses that depend on imported inputs are directly at risk.
"Jobs tied to moving and selling goods, from logistics to last-mile delivery, will feel the pressure first."
De Rugy added: "Businesses can adapt to high costs, to shortages, even to competition-but they cannot operate efficiently when the rules of the game can change overnight."
Supply chain and logistics expert Manish Kapoor, CEO of Growth Catalyst Group, said: "With fewer containers being booked from Asia to North America, we can expect inflationary pressures to intensify. The limited supply, despite sustained demand, is likely to trigger a ripple effect of shortages and disruptions, a phenomenon known in supply chain dynamics as the reverse bullwhip effect.
"From my perspective, a decrease in imports will tighten the overall supply of goods, and with demand remaining strong, consumers will likely face rising prices."
What Happens Next?
Trump has acknowledged that the tariffs on China are "very high," and has promised to bring the rate down "substantially."
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This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 6:08 AM.
