BUSINESS

Chinese Ships Dock at California Port in Lockstep as U.S.-China Trade Truce Begins

Published: Nov. 11, 2025 1:02 a.m. GMT+8

00:00

00:00/00:00

Listen to this article 1x

Port of Long Beach, Los Angeles. Photo: VCG

Four massive container ships operated by China’s state-owned COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd. arrived in lockstep at the Port of Long Beach in Southern California in the early hours of Monday, symbolizing a tentative easing of tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

The coordinated docking, led by the vessel Xin Ya Zhou at 3 a.m. local time, followed days of deliberate idling offshore by the fleet — including CSCL South China Sea, CSCL East China Sea and COSCO Orchid. The ships had lingered between one and four days, awaiting relief from costly port fees that were lifted only hours earlier.

You've accessed an article available only to subscribers

Subscribe today for just $.99.

VIEW OPTIONS

Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.

Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.

Share this article

Open WeChat and scan the QR code

DIGEST HUB

Digest Hub

Back

Explore the story in 30 seconds

Four COSCO container ships arrived at the Port of Long Beach after the U.S. suspended Section 301 tariffs on China’s maritime sector for one year, following a Trump-Xi agreement.
China reciprocated by suspending special port fees on U.S. ships; Honolulu-based Matson saved fees at Ningbo port.
The shipping standoff since October 14 caused major financial losses: Matson paid $6.4 million, COSCO over $14 million, and disrupted global shipping.

AI generated, for reference only

Who’s Who

COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd.: COSCO Shipping Holdings Co. Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned company operating four massive container ships. These ships arrived at the Port of Long Beach in Southern California, symbolizing easing U.S.-China tensions. The company incurred over 100 million yuan ($14 million) in U.S. tariffs during a shipping standoff.

CSCL: CSCL, or China Shipping Container Lines, is a Chinese state-owned shipping company. Several of its vessels, including the CSCL South China Sea and CSCL East China Sea, were part of a coordinated docking at the Port of Long Beach. They had been idling offshore, awaiting the suspension of Section 301 tariffs imposed by the U.S. against China's maritime logistics sector.

Matson Inc.: Matson Inc. is a Honolulu-based company that owns the vessel Matsonia. This vessel docked at China's Ningbo port without incurring special port fees, following China's reciprocal suspension of these fees for U.S. ships. Matson Inc. was significantly affected by the shipping standoff, paying $6.4 million in special dues to Chinese ports.

Clarkson Research Services: Clarkson Research Services, a maritime consultancy, reported that tariffs led to a decline in ship calls at U.S. ports. This caused rerouting of vessels, inefficiencies, and inflated freight rates. They anticipate that while the tariff suspension will help, residual effects and uncertain U.S.-China relations remain concerns for the industry.

AI generated, for reference only

What Happened When

October 14, 2025：: The shipping standoff began, disrupting global shipping networks and inflicting steep financial losses on both sides.

October 30, 2025：: A trade agreement was reached between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan.

November 4, 2025：: Matson disclosed in an earnings call that it had paid $6.4 million in special dues to Chinese ports.

November 9, 2025：: The United States Trade Representative’s office announced the suspension for one year of Section 301 tariffs targeting China’s maritime logistics sector, effective the next day.

Before November 10, 2025：: Four COSCO container ships lingered offshore for one to four days awaiting relief from costly port fees.

Early hours of November 10, 2025：: Four COSCO container ships arrived in lockstep at the Port of Long Beach, led by the Xin Ya Zhou at 3 a.m. local time.

November 10, 2025：: China’s Ministry of Transport announced it would suspend special port fees on U.S. ships for one year.

November 10, 2025：: The Matsonia, a vessel owned by Matson Inc., docked at China’s Ningbo port at 1:07 p.m. local time without incurring the special port fee.

AI generated, for reference only