Port of Everett braces for 'brutal' Q3 amid tariff uncertainty and import decline

Port of Everett CEO Lisa Lefeber started seeing the fallout of an increasingly mercurial U.S. trade policy in April. Imports into Everett are down by 10% this year, representing about a $3 million dropoff in revenue.

So far, Lefeber said, the deficit has been manageable, but the port expects an additional 10% reduction in imports, making for a "brutal" third quarter. The port tends to see freight with a higher price tag, which impacts revenue more than the larger ports in the state.

-snip-

President Donald Trump has routinely used the threat of tariffs as a tool to pressure trade partners and renegotiate deals he sees as unfavorable. His biggest target has been China, but other major trade partners — such as Canada, Mexico and India — have been hit as well. Recently, Trump threatened 30% tariffs on goods from the European Union by Aug. 1.

The tariff wars have had an outsized effect on smaller ports like Everett, where the import-export activity is valued at nearly $30 billion a year.

https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2025/07/21/port-of-everett-reduction-imports-tariffs-trump.html