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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.

4/28/25 11:11AM

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.”

Jon Keegan

9/9/25

Draft Senate bill gives AI companies a two-year pass on federal regulation, Bloomberg reports

Bloomberg reports that a draft bill from Senator Ted Cruz would give AI companies a two-year pass from any federal regulation when they apply to be part of a White House-controlled “regulatory sandbox.” Such a regulatory framework frees participating companies from federal agency oversight while simultaneously handing President Trump broad powers to shape a still nascent and increasingly powerful industry.

The draft bill allows companies approved for the waiver to request renewals for up to eight years, according to the report.

The fast-moving generative-AI boom that took the tech world by storm was kicked off by the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT less than three years ago. A potential decade free of federal regulations would be a huge win for companies like Meta, Google, OpenAI, and Amazon.

In July, the US Senate voted 99-1 to kill a planned provision from President Trump’s massive tax bill that would have prevented any state from regulating AI for 10 years.

Draft Senate Bill Waives Federal Rules on AI Companies During Testing

In July, the US Senate voted 99-1 to kill a planned provision from President Trump’s massive tax bill that would have prevented any state from regulating AI for 10 years.

Rani Molla

9/2/25

Google soars on court ruling that doesn’t force the search giant to sell Chrome

Google has $26 billion in deals with companies like Samsung and Apple.

Max Knoblauch

8/21/25

Hertz falls, erasing its Amazon bump, as Congress looks into its AI damage scanners

Hertz shares are trading down more than 5% on Thursday.

Max Knoblauch

8/20/25

Airbus faces a 10-day strike from UK workers, mirroring Boeing’s labor strife

Thousands of UK union Airbus workers plan to strike for 10 days in September amid a contract dispute.

The union workers build wings for Airbus’ commercial jets, threatening a production slowdown for the European plane maker.

As Airbus’ labor tension builds, rival Boeing’s has already boiled over: earlier this month, more than 3,000 Boeing workers who build military aircraft started a strike that remains ongoing. The action came less than a year after the company faced a two-month stoppage from a machinist strike.

Airbus, for now, says it doesn’t see the strikes affecting full-year deliveries.

Airbus UK workers to strike for 10 days over pay

Airbus, for now, says it doesn’t see the strikes affecting full-year deliveries.

Rani Molla

8/20/25

Elon Musk’s political party isn’t happening, as Tesla CEO gives up on the “America Party”

In July, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced his own political party, the America Party — a move intended to “give you back your freedom.” What it did at the time was invoke the wrath of President Donald Trump and send the stock down.

A month and a half later, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Musk is “pumping the brakes” on his third party.

According to the Journal, “Musk has told allies that he wants to focus his attention on his companies and is reluctant to alienate powerful Republicans by starting a third party that could siphon off GOP voters.” He also wants to maintain ties with Vice President JD Vance, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate for 2028.

What happened?

For one, earlier this month Tesla’s board approved a roughly $30 billion interim pay package that Musk will only realize if he remains at the company for two years.

The stock isn’t moving on the news so far, but investors and analysts typically see Musk’s focus on his public company as a good thing.

Exclusive | Elon Musk Pledged to Start a Political Party. He Is Already Pumping the Brakes.