by Julia Pierrepont III, Gao Shan

LOS ANGELES, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Officials at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach expressed their delight on Monday after the United States and China announced a series of tariff modification measures easing trade tensions between the world's two largest economies.

"The 90-day pause and reduction of tariffs between the United States and China is welcome news for consumers, American businesses, workers and the supply chain," Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, the largest and busiest port in the country, said in a statement.

"Additionally, it's important for the United States to work with other nations to reduce existing tariffs," Seroka added.

The Port of Los Angeles handled about 17 percent of all containerized international trade moving through U.S. seaports.

At a press conference in Long Beach, local officials also shared sobering data on the negative economic impact the unexpected tariffs have had on the port and local businesses.

Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, echoed support for the tariff pause but warned of continued uncertainty.

"We need clarity and stability. This uncertainty hurts the entire supply chain," he said, noting that everyday products like smartphones and appliances are affected by the tariff swings.

Labor leaders also weighed in. Gary Herrera, president of International Longshore Warehouse Union Local 13, said that cargo slowdowns have led to significant job losses at the ports.

"Hundreds of workers are missing out on jobs every day. We want lasting agreements, not just pauses," said the labor leader representing about 9,000 full-time and 6,000 part-time dockworkers.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson also noted that "what we need is certainty" at the press conference.

He pointed out that "There still will be a great deal of uncertainty for the workforce, buyers and suppliers. So we're not going to celebrate right now that the crisis is over. This is still a crisis of our own making that we need to address through long-term, long-range, strategic and stable policy making."

"The rollback is a step that should be acknowledged, but recovery will not be immediate. It will take weeks, if not months, to untangle the backlog and stabilize the system," Richardson stated.

The adjacent Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in Southern California constitute the largest port complex in the country. Approximately 31 percent of the goods the United States imports or exports in containers by sea come through the twin ports on San Pedro Bay.

California Governor Gavin Newsom warned in an interview released on Saturday that the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have reported a 35 percent drop in cargo traffic. ■