In May 2025, the Sino-US foreign trade route has a "hot" start! Driven by the adjustment of tariff policies and holiday stocking, the peak of shipments on the US line has been greatly advanced, the space is in short supply, and the freight booking is as fierce as the "ticket-grabbing" during the Spring Festival, and the market heat continues to rise.
The peak season is advanced, and the demand has exploded
According to convention, the peak season for US shipping usually arrives in July-September, but this year it was unexpectedly advanced to June-July. After the optimization and adjustment of Sino-US tariff policies, American buyers have accelerated the pace of "stockpiling" for cost control considerations, striving to avoid potential risks. At the same time, the stocking cycle for important festivals such as Thanksgiving and Christmas in the second half of the year has been greatly advanced, and the export volume of holiday-related commodities such as toys and home decorations has shown a blowout growth. Multiple factors have jointly promoted the early arrival of the peak of shipments on the US line.
The cargo in the port is rotating, and the operation is running continuously
As an important hub for cargo transportation to the United States, Shenzhen Yantian Port carries more than a quarter of the country's cargo volume to the United States. At present, outside the port gate, container trucks are lined up in an endless "steel dragon"; in the port area, 6 ships for the United States are operating at the same time, and each ship is fully loaded with more than 20,000 standard containers, sailing to the United States. The cargo distribution warehouses around the port are also busy, with the volume of incoming containers surging by more than 60%, from 120 containers on weekdays to more than 200 containers. In order to ensure the efficient circulation of goods, many logistics companies have started a 24-hour operation mode with three shifts, and the warehouse turnover efficiency has increased by 30% in the short term to fully cope with the surge in freight demand.
It is difficult to get a ticket for cabin space, and freight rates have soared
Data from trade tracking agencies show that since the implementation of the policy of mutual tariff reduction between China and the United States for more than ten days, the number of container transportation bookings from China to the United States has soared by nearly 300%, and the market demand is almost "off the charts". As part of the shipping capacity was previously diverted to the European and Latin American routes, it is difficult to restore the capacity overnight. The space on the US route is becoming increasingly tight, and the difficulty of booking is comparable to grabbing tickets during the Spring Festival travel rush. At the same time, the shipping prices have also started to "soar". On May 23, the market freight rates of Shanghai Port's exports to the basic ports in the West and East of the United States rose sharply by 39.5% and 28.5% respectively compared with before the adjustment of Sino-US tariffs. Many shipping giants have announced an increase in transportation rates on routes from Asia to the United States, with the highest increase in freight rates for 40-foot containers reaching US$3,000, which shows the market's enthusiasm.
