Port of Virginia CEO Stephen Edwards said the port is a “blueprint” for the future of the supply chain and will be able to weather the ongoing trade war with China better than others in the nation.
New tariffs will certainly affect Virginia’s port, but Edwards doesn’t expect major changes as a result.
“We’re in the somewhat fortunate position of being the least-exposed major U.S. port on trade with China,” Edwards told government and industry leaders at the Virginia Beach Marriott Thursday.
About 19% of the port’s business comes from China. It’s the port’s second-largest trading partner after the European Union.
The Port of Los Angeles, in comparison, gets around 45% of its shipments from China.
The Port of Virginia was the fastest-growing American port for the second year running last year. It grew 25% year-over-year, continuing explosive growth as a result of expansion efforts that allowed it to handle shipping spikes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Revenues at the port are also up 53% since 2020.
The port’s ongoing upgrade efforts, including dredging to create the deepest and widest shipping channel on the East Coast, are expected to pay dividends in keeping the port’s growth going.
“If tariffs do change the nation’s trading portfolio … Virginia’s port will continue to excel,” Edwards said.
He said East Coast ports will really start to see the effects of tariffs on Chinese imports later in May.
But new numbers show imports may already be contracting.
About 7.6% fewer shipping containers arrived here last month than in April 2024. The fall comes after the Port of Virginia celebrated its second-best March ever.
The U.S shipping industry began reporting a sharp decline in container ships from Asia visiting American ports in late April. The biggest declines came from ships typically bound for the East Coast.
Ports officials around the nation have been ringing alarm bells. The head of the Port of Los Angeles said major American retailers have halted virtually all imports from China, which consumers could see reflected in sparse store shelves starting in June.
Most of the broad set of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump in March, including those targeting the European Union, have been delayed until July. Trump has taken a particular aim at China, with imports from the East Asian giant facing a 145% tariff upon their arrival in the U.S.
Chinese imports have already sunken to a 20-year low as the impacts of the tariffs take hold.
WHRO's Vice President of News Maurice Jones is a member of the Port of Virginia's Board of Commissioners. Jones is not involved with the newsroom's editorial decisions.
