Container bookings from China to the United States have skyrocketed by nearly 300% after both countries agreed to a temporary 90-day pause on most tariffs, offering a much-needed boost to global shipping and trade, industry experts say.
According to Vizion, a container-tracking service provider, the average weekly bookings jumped from 5,709 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in the week ending May 5 to 21,530 TEU in the latest seven-day period — a staggering 277% increase. This surge comes in the wake of a trade truce announced Monday by Beijing and Washington, aimed at easing tensions in the ongoing US-China trade war.
Analysts predict this tariff pause will trigger an early peak shipping season, as importers rush to front-load their orders ahead of a possible tariff reinstatement after the 90-day window expires in August.
“With an August deadline for potential tariff hikes, we’re likely to see an early start and probably an early tapering off of this year’s ocean peak season,” said Freightos, an international freight booking platform, in its latest weekly report.
Shipping giants have welcomed the tariff pause. Maersk, the Danish maritime leader, reported a noticeable increase in bookings for its trans-Pacific routes since the deal was announced. Similarly, German shipping firm Hapag-Lloyd disclosed a 50% rise in container bookings from China to the US compared to the previous week.
Despite the sharp decline in China-US shipping volumes earlier this year, container freight rates have held steady at around $2,300 per 40-foot equivalent unit (FEU) to the US West Coast and $3,400 per FEU to the East Coast. Freightos attributes this stability to a roughly 22% reduction in shipping capacity through blank sailings, suspended routes, and the use of smaller vessels.
While the tariff pause is expected to immediately push freight rates higher, analysts caution that prices will not reach last year’s record highs—when rates peaked at $8,000 per FEU to the West Coast and over $9,800 to the East Coast. The moderation is credited to expanded shipping fleets and heightened competition among carrier alliances, which have driven rates down by more than 30% year-on-year.
However, with demand surging so suddenly, shippers should brace for potential congestion, delays, and difficulty securing container space both at Chinese ports and US destinations over the coming weeks, Freightos warned.
The 90-day tariff truce marks a tentative step towards easing one of the world’s most significant trade conflicts, though many industry insiders remain cautious about long-term stability given the underlying tensions between the two economic giants.
