WASHINGTON D.C. – The Port of Los Angeles is calling on the White House and congressional leaders to recognize how the U.S.-China trade war is threatening millions of jobs across the nation.

The Port of L.A. is the nation’s busiest port, but now the workers are bringing attention to their decreasing export volumes. The Executive Director, Gene Seroka, said he hopes for a substantial change in the way the White House is trying to negotiate with China. Seroka said if these talks last well into the New Year, he is afraid of what it could do to the Port of Los Angeles and how it can affect families at home.

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“We have now hit a cliff about what these tariffs have done and the impact they’ve had on the port of Los Angeles,” said Seroka.

Wherever you are across the nation, you’ve probably seen something in the stores that have passed through the Port of L.A. However, over this last year, Seroka said trade volumes at the port have fallen significantly. Referring to the report, he said, between October 2018 and 2019 container volume dropped with an overall 19.1 percent decline.

The Port of L.A. said the U.S. is seeing a drop in shipments from soybeans to automobile parts. With this comes higher consumer costs anywhere between the grocery store and mechanic shops. On top of that, companies are also absorbing taxation costs and not making as much profit which could lead to fewer hires and cutbacks.

Seroka said everyone should be involved in this conversation.

“The cargo that traverses the Port of L.A. reaches each and every one of our 435 congressional districts in the nation,” said Seroka. “This truly is a conversation of American significance.”

Seroka highlighted how with the drop in cargo volume, comes a drop in jobs. With one in nine jobs in Southern California tied to the Port of L.A., along with 3 million jobs around the nation, Seroka said the trade war puts too many people at risk.

“It’s been going on too long and it’s not yielding the proper results and we must get to completion,” said Seroka.

President Trump says doing nothing about the Trade War is unacceptable and said a long term deal is “potentially very close.” On Tuesday, China’s top negotiator on trade talked over the phone to the U.S. Trade Representative and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. They said they have talked over core issues and reached a consensus on how to solve those problems and figure out Phase 1.

If Phase 1 doesn’t happen by December 15, President Trump may carry out this threat to impose tariffs on another $160 billion. Now the U.S. has $550 billion in tariffs applied to Chinese goods.