BUSINESS

Shipping Scramble as U.S.-China Tariff Truce Triggers Export Frenzy

Published: May. 21, 2025 5:30 a.m. GMT+8

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Container ships at the Yangshan Deepwater Port in Shanghai on May 14, 2025. Photo: Bloomberg

A dash to beat a 90-day tariff reprieve has seen China-to-U.S. shipping routes shift into overdrive, triggering soaring freight rates, overbooked cargo slots and a full-blown export scramble that echoes the chaos of the pandemic-era trade surge.

“Trying to ship a year’s worth of goods in three months — of course there’s no room,” a freight forwarder in Shanghai told Caixin, describing the current ocean freight situation as one of extreme congestion and rising panic.

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China-to-U.S. shipping surged after a 90-day mutual tariff pause, pushing freight rates up 31.7%–22% for West/East Coast and triggering capacity shortages and export congestion.
Container bookings from China to the U.S. almost doubled from May 12–18, but total transpacific capacity had dropped nearly 60% by mid-May; shipping line rates may reach pandemic-era highs.
Carriers are redeploying ships, with capacity expected to recover by late May, though U.S. port activity remains 20% below normal and future trade uncertainty persists.

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Who’s Who

Qingdao Yuantai Metal Products Co. Ltd.: Qingdao Yuantai Metal Products Co. Ltd. is a company affected by the recent shipping surge. A foreign trade manager from the company stated that savings from tariff cuts are being offset by rising freight costs. Due to rapidly changing rates and scarce shipping space, the company is "biting the bullet" to secure cargo slots early, aiming to avoid further complications as the situation worsens.

MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company): According to the article, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) is one of the major shipping giants that has already issued rate hike notices for June on China-to-U.S. routes. This comes amid a surge in demand caused by a temporary suspension of tariffs, leading to soaring freight rates and overbooked cargo slots.

Maersk: According to the article, Maersk is identified as one of the top shipping giants that have already issued rate hike notices for June in response to the surge in demand and congestion on China-to-U.S. shipping routes caused by the temporary 90-day tariff reprieve.

CMA CGM: CMA CGM is listed among the top shipping giants in the article. It has issued rate hike notices for June, responding to the surge in demand for China-to-U.S. routes following the suspension of tariffs. This move aligns with other major carriers like MSC and Maersk as freight rates soar amid export congestion.

ForwarderOne: ForwarderOne is mentioned in the article as one of the top shipping giants, alongside MSC, Maersk, and CMA CGM. The company has already issued rate hike notices for June due to the surge in demand and soaring freight rates on China-to-U.S. shipping routes amid the 90-day tariff reprieve.

Shanghai Weierda Sunshade Equipment Co. Ltd.: Shanghai Weierda Sunshade Equipment Co. Ltd. received over 1 million yuan ($138,900) in urgent U.S. orders immediately after the tariff pause announcement. The company is accelerating production and advancing shipment schedules to avoid the expected shipping bottleneck in late June, as clients rush to take advantage of the 90-day tariff reprieve.

Shenzhen Maiqijia Home Co. Ltd.: Shenzhen Maiqijia Home Co. Ltd. is experiencing increased demand from American buyers, who are stockpiling goods in anticipation of upcoming events like Black Friday and Christmas. The company's general manager, Wang Li, noted that U.S. clients are replenishing inventory early to avoid potential post-tariff uncertainties after August.

Yiwu Jingwen Import & Export Co. Ltd.: Yiwu Jingwen Import & Export Co. Ltd. reported that one of its U.S. clients doubled its usual order to avoid unexpected issues after the tariff pause ends in August, reflecting the wider trend of American buyers stockpiling goods amid the 90-day tariff reprieve.

Vizion: Vizion is a container tracking platform mentioned in the article. It reported that bookings from China to the U.S. nearly doubled between May 12 and 18—rising by 93% compared to the previous week—though still down 13% year-on-year. Globally, U.S.-bound bookings fell 18% in the same period.

Hapag-Lloyd AG: Hapag-Lloyd AG is a major global shipping company. According to the article, its CEO, Rolf Habben Jansen, reported a significant spike—over 50%—in bookings on China-U.S. routes after the U.S.-China tariff pause was announced, highlighting the surge in freight demand amid the 90-day reprieve.

KMTC (Korea Marine Transport Co.): According to the article, Korea’s KMTC (Korea Marine Transport Co.) is responding to surging China-to-U.S. shipping demand by launching a new Long Beach route from China. This move is part of a broader industry effort to redeploy ships and increase transpacific capacity amid a spike in exports driven by a 90-day tariff suspension between China and the United States.

Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd.: Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd., which is part of China Cosco Shipping Corp. Ltd., is responding to the export surge by redeploying ships. The company is reportedly shifting vessels from its Asia-Europe service to bolster capacity on transpacific routes between China and the United States in order to help meet the dramatic spike in shipping demand triggered by the temporary tariff reprieve.

China Cosco Shipping Corp. Ltd.: China Cosco Shipping Corp. Ltd. is a major Chinese shipping company. According to the article, its subsidiary, Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd., is redeploying vessels from its Asia-Europe service back to the transpacific route to help address capacity shortages caused by a surge in China-to-U.S. exports following a temporary suspension of tariffs between the U.S. and China.

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