(13 May 2025 – China) Anticipating yet another crisis in three months’ time, Chinese manufacturers are taking full advantage of the trade war truce to rush goods to US ports that fell silent this month.
Container ship bookings for China-to-US cargo have surged since the countries declared a 90-day truce on punitive tariffs, giving rise to crippling traffic jams at Chinese ports and factories that could take weeks to clear.
Production lines roared into life across China within hours of Beijing and Washington announcing a temporary truce in their ongoing trade war. Chinese factory owners report being inundated by US buyers demanding they resume production on orders that had been cancelled due to inhibitive tariffs of 145 percent plus and to expedite as many deliveries as possible. Exporters are rushing to capitalise on the 90-day pause in the tariff conflict while also preparing for what they perceive as an inevitable return to instability due to the turbulent leadership of US President Donald Trump.
“The demand is so high that we can only serve customers who have made long-term contracts with us. We have hardly enough space for spontaneous bookings” stated a German Container Ship Operator Hapag-Lloyd spokesperson.
“If you order now, you will have an anxious wait to see if it will be too late. We’re hopeful that a new trade agreement is implemented, and the lowered tariffs do not expire” commented Joe and Bella CEO Jimmy Zollo.