Quiet US ports show trade war pact

At the Port of Los Angeles, the frenetic choreography of cranes unloading containers from Asia has slowed to a tiptoe, and the noise of the busiest docks in the US is quieting.

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"You could hear a pin drop, it's very unusual," Port Director Gene Seroka said.

By this unofficial barometer, the American economy faces slowdown under US President Donald Trump amid his trade war with China.

Along with the next-door Port of Long Beach, the area represents the biggest gateway in the United States for goods from China and the rest of Asia.

That has made it among the first victims to a burgeoning crisis threatening to disrupt the lives of millions of Americans.

Trump's on-again-off-again tariffs and the retaliation launched by other countries has cowed importers, whose usual orders for furniture, toys, and clothing have dwindled.

For the week of May 4, the Port of Los Angeles will receive up to 35 per cent less cargo compared with the same period last year, Seroka said.

The Port of Long Beach says for the entire month of May it is expecting a 30 per cent drop in imports.

Dozens of ships have cancelled their voyages to these ports. "Many retailers and manufacturers alike have hit the pause button, stopping all shipments from China," said Seroka.