Japan Earthquake Disrupts Imports, Exports with US

April 22, 2011

Nissan Juke, sports utility vehicles queue to be loaded onto a freighter at its Oppama factory in Yokosuka, some 40-kilometre south of Tokyo, April 22, 2011

Every day, ships from Asia arrive at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Located next to each other, these two ports on the West Coast are the busiest container ports in the United States. And Japan is the second-biggest trading partner of the two ports combined.

"Japan really helped build international trade 20 or 30 years ago and really is responsible for some of the growth here in the Port of Los Angeles," Phillip Sanfield said.

Sanfield is spokesman for Los Angeles Port. He says Japan makes up 15 percent of the overall trade at the Port of Los Angeles. The largest imports from Japan are auto parts and cars. Nissans come through the Port of Los Angeles.

Long Beach is one of the entry ports for Toyotas. Art Wong is port of Long Beach spokesman. "I’ve heard that Toyota is beginning to slow down their shipment of cars here or even maybe even to stop having as many ships come here,” he said. “So their plants have been shut down pretty much since the quake they’ve started up production again but certainly not at the same level."

The same seems to be true for auto parts. "All of the auto dealers here that rely on parts are telling us there has been a slowdown," Sanfield said.