‘It’s only going to get worse’: Trump tariffs cause more disaster as Seattle port sits empty, commissioner confirms ‘ghost town’ status

The adverse effects of the Donald Trump tariffs are already being felt — and this won’t be solved by threats to Amazon or clever rhetoric on debate-stage TV segments. The Port of Seattle officially has no container ship at berth.

Ryan Calkins, commissioner of the Port of Seattle, appeared on CNN to discuss the situation. While he acknowledged that this occasionally happens during “normal times,” he also emphasized that it’s still “pretty rare.” Calkins told CNN, “Tonight is, I think, a stark reminder that the impacts of the tariffs have real implications.”

Calkins shared that “hundreds of jobs” have been affected, including but not limited to longshoremen. He went on to say that this kind of disruption hasn’t been seen since the height of the pandemic, and made an important point: They don’t just deal with Chinese goods.

When this harrowing interview was posted on X, one commenter bluntly noted that things will only get worse.

Nope.

But you know the drill:
Hang in there.

Its only going to get worse.

Common sense is being defeated right now. Bigly.

— Tyrelle (@StealthTurtle3k) May 8, 2025

According to Newsweek, port authorities across the country are experiencing similar drops in cargo volume. Experts are forecasting rising prices and scarcity of vital goods as a result. For example, NPR — one of the outlets Trump has targeted for defunding — gave an account of a wheelchair user who had to pay an extra $3,500 for a Chinese-made wheelchair.

NPR also spoke to small businesses navigating this new reality. One of them, HiveTech Solutions, which specializes in refrigerating honey, revealed that the cost of their imported boxes from China has surged by nearly $12,000. For a company operating on razor-thin margins, that meant raising their prices. Unlike Amazon, HiveTech chose to be transparent with its customers, explaining that American consumers are the ones actually paying the tariffs because that’s how tariffs work.

While ports and small businesses bear the brunt of this crisis, the Trump administration is reportedly considering tariff relief for large conglomerates, but notably, not for small businesses. When asked about this omission in an interview, Trump responded, “Why do you always mention a couple of small businesses? What about the car business?” One user commented that this isn’t just how Trump thinks it’s how everyone around him thinks. It’s hard to argue with that, considering no one in his camp ever seems willing to challenge him, even when their own elective post is on the line.

This is not only how Trump thinks. This is how everyone around him thinks, including Bessent and Lutnick.

— Jason Holloway (@jasonaholloway) May 4, 2025

California port officials have publicly called the situation dire, saying you can hear a pin drop on the docks. The Trump administration once claimed the tariffs would help American businesses, but for now, that help seems far from reality. Few economists believe it will ever arrive.

There might be cause for cautious optimism, though. The administration has been announcing, via various outlets, that new deals are almost finalized and ready for rollout. As for the main trade negotiations with China, CNBC reports that Trump’s team has apparently caved, requesting to meet in Switzerland to resume talks.

As things stand, everything is up in the air — and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get better unless something changes drastically.