Beset by changing American tariff policies, the Port of Oakland today reported that April container volume had dropped 14.7% versus March, but said that its overall container volume was still up 4.3% in the first four months of 2025 compared to that same period last year.
By the numbers, the port handled 185,499 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEU) in April, marking a slowdown that was driven by market uncertainty and softening demand in exports — both influenced by recent shifts in U.S. trade policy, port leaders said.
Despite the dip for the month of April, total volume for the first four months of 2025 reached 787,028 TEUs handled. “Container volume remained stable during the first four months of 2025; however, uncertainty and high tariff impacted our China volume. We anticipate similar volume in May with a strong recovery in June,” Port of Oakland Maritime Director Bryan Brandes said in a release. “The Port remains focused on service reliability, and close coordination with our partners and customers, as market dynamics continue to evolve.”
Broken out into the direction of cargo flow, full imports totaled 78,965 TEUs in April, which was up 4.8% compared to April 2024 but down 10.2% from March. And full exports dipped 4.2% year over year, with the port processing 64,723 TEUs in April 2025, compared to 67,566 TEUs in April 2024. The number marked a 15% decrease from the previous month.
According to the port, the decrease in exports was caused by market uncertainty. Although only 7% of Oakland’s exports go to China, market uncertainty abroad—including concerns about retaliatory tariffs and shifting demand—appear to be influencing booking behavior, particularly for agricultural and food products.
