Global trade between the Chinese mainland and the United States is bouncing back. Container bookings from the Chinese mainland to the U.S. skyrocketed nearly 300% following recent tariff modifications aimed at easing trade tensions between the two economic giants.
According to Vizion, a container-tracking software provider, average bookings for the seven days ended Wednesday soared to 21,530 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up from an average of 5,709 TEUs for the seven days ending May 5. “This significant increase underscores the positive impact of the tariff adjustments on trade activities,” said Ben Tracy, Vizion’s vice president of strategic business development.
U.S. importers had previously slowed shipments after April 2, when tariffs of up to 145% were announced on goods made in the Chinese mainland. However, trade activities reignited after both nations announced a temporary rollback of reciprocal tariffs earlier this week.
German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd also reported a surge in activity. Bookings for U.S.-China traffic jumped 50% week-on-week in the first few days of this week. Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd, told Reuters, “I expect that there will be additional volume between the Chinese mainland and the U.S. That is what we have already seen in the last few days.”
The rapid increase in cargo bookings signals a hopeful turn for global trade, offering opportunities for businesses and economies, especially in developing regions. As tariff tensions ease, the flow of goods is expected to increase, benefiting consumers and industries worldwide.
