VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — During the 2025 State of the Port event at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, industry leaders are addressing the challenges posed by an uncertain trade market and ongoing tariffs.
Hundreds of professionals in logistics, real estate, and trade gathered Thursday while President Donald Trump announced an agreement to cut tariffs on U.K. autos, steel, and aluminum. However, Trump stated that the baseline 10% tariffs against British goods will remain in place.
The Port of Virginia’s largest trade partner is the European Union, yet many are apprehensive about how the tariffs with China will affect operations on the East Coast.
“There will be less cargo arriving at the end of May, but it won’t be the steep drop-off that you’re seeing on the West Coast,” said Stephen Edwards, CEO and Executive Director of the Port of Virginia. Edwards noted that only about 20 percent of their cargo comes from China, positioning them to remain dynamic despite market fluctuations.
During a media briefing on Thursday, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia) presented a grim outlook, stating, “You’re going to see, because of these high tariffs, less port traffic come in – that will cost jobs.” Despite these concerns, Edwards told members of the media that the port does not anticipate any layoffs at this time.
During his speech, Edwards stated, “You’ll see that in Virginia, we’ve prepared and we’ve positioned in ways that we can manage this very dynamic environment.”
The Port of Virginia is proud to call itself the fastest-growing port in America. Leaders there assert that by the end of this year, Coastal Virginia will have the deepest channel on the East Coast, enhancing its competitiveness and supporting a strong economy.
When asked about what type of goods would likely be affected, Edwards replied, “We can only see volume numbers. We can’t tell you what commodity has changed or what goods have changed. That really is going to come a little bit later when we see the commodity statistics.”
