U.S. port activity in the first quarter of 2020 has been defined by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Taking a longer-term view, however, there were already signs of challenges in 2019 caused by the U.S.-China trade war. Total U.S. imports of containerized freight dipped 0.9% lower in 2019 versus 2018, the first decline since 2009. The west coast ports did the worst, with a 9.0% drop in imports to Long Beach meaning it fell to third place in the nation after Los Angeles and Newark / New York. The latter’s volumes rose by 1.4% after reaping the benefits of the earlier raising of the...