BUSINESS

China-U.S. Trade Truce Triggers Sudden Surge in Transpacific Shipping

Published: May. 14, 2025 5:41 a.m. GMT+8

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Container trucks line up to enter Shanghai Port after the U.S. tariff cut was announced. Photo by Bao Zhiming

Idle ships are starting to dock, truckers are back on the road and freight forwarders are scrambling to meet demand as transpacific shipping rebounds after a surprise tariff rollback between the United States and China.

On May 13, a Shanghai trucker named Wang finally received his first job since China’s Labor Day holiday: hauling a container that had been sitting in bonded storage for nearly a month to Yangshan Port. The container, like many others, had missed the April 9 deadline before new U.S. tariffs took effect and was left stranded as exporters abruptly halted U.S.-bound shipments.

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Transpacific shipping rapidly rebounded after the U.S. and China agreed on May 12 to cut 91% of additional tariffs and suspend 24% of reciprocal duties.
Shipping capacity to the U.S. had dropped 30–40% in late April, but sudden demand has caused freight rates to rise 10.2% in a week and created container and space shortages.
Major exporters resumed shipments immediately, while smaller firms lag; risks of port congestion and container shortages remain high.

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Who’s Who

Duke Shipping Agency LLC: Duke Shipping Agency LLC’s chief operating officer, Zhang Huafeng, reported that U.S.-bound shipping capacity dropped 30–40% in late April due to vessel rerouting. He expects tight container space and rising rates in the coming month as shipping demand rebounds faster than capacity. Zhang also warned of a looming shortage of empty containers in China and predicted potential congestion at U.S. ports if shipping volumes remain high.

Mediterranean Shipping Company: The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) is mentioned in the article as having reversed recent vessel rerouting. Its vessel, the MSC Ivana, had been anchored off Shanghai for a week with no cargo but finally docked and began loading late on May 12, reflecting MSC’s quick response to the renewed surge in U.S.-bound shipments following the surprise tariff rollback between the U.S. and China.

Midea Group: According to the article, Midea Group, a major Chinese appliance exporter, resumed shipments to the U.S. immediately after the tariff rollback. This was confirmed by Huang Shaoyuan, general manager at Anji SIPG Logistics. In contrast, smaller exporters are still catching up and may not resume shipping until mid-June.

Anji SIPG Logistics: According to the article, Huang Shaoyuan, general manager at Anji SIPG Logistics, stated that major exporters like appliance giant Midea resumed shipments immediately after the tariff rollback. However, he noted that smaller firms, which had stopped production during the tariff standoff, are still catching up and may not resume shipping until mid-June.

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What Happened When

April 9, 2025：: Deadline before new U.S. tariffs took effect; many export containers missed this date and were left stranded.

Late April 2025：: U.S.-bound shipping capacity dropped between 30% and 40% as carriers shifted vessels away from transpacific routes.

May 12, 2025：: U.S. and China issued a joint statement to cut 91% of additional tariffs and suspend 24% of reciprocal duties by May 14, 2025; freight forwarders saw a surge in client inquiries; Shanghai Shipping Exchange reported spot rate increase on the U.S. route; MSC Ivana began loading cargo after a week at anchor.

May 13, 2025：: Shanghai trucker Wang received his first post-holiday job to deliver a container waiting nearly a month; represents resumption of shipments halted by tariffs.