Bookings for China-to-US shipping containers plunge
Bookings for China-to-US shipping containers are down 44.5% from the same time last year.
The dramatic effects of President Trump’s global trade war are starting showing up in the data.
Looking at the signals around Chinese imports to the US — which are subject to a whopping 145% tariff for most goods — we’ve already seen some alarming data. The volume of shipping containers forecast to arrive at the Port of Los Angeles is falling off a cliff.
Looking at the actual bookings for shipping containers coming from China to the US (known as twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs), we can see similar warning signs.
According to data from supply chain analytics firm Vizion, bookings for China-to-US TEUs for the week of April 13 are down 44.5% from the same period last year.
Vizion’s report on the latest data underscored the speed and depth of the decline:
“Between the week of March 24 and April 14, 2025, container bookings from China to the U.S. dropped from 134,911 to 81,239 TEUs — a sharp 39.9% decrease in just three weeks. The decline highlights the severity of the market’s reaction to the April 4 and April 5 tariff announcements, as shippers paused new movements mid-cycle to reassess cost, routing, and inventory risk.”
Looking at both the shipping bookings and the volume of containers arriving at ports, a clear trend is taking place. The report noted:
“The signal is clear. Shippers rushed to move product in Q1, then pulled back sharply as new tariff policies introduced widespread uncertainty. These dramatic shifts, visible in booking data well before they appear at ports or in customs reports, highlight the importance of early indicators in a rapidly changing trade environment.”
