Currently, with the significant reduction of Sino-US tariffs and a 90-day “tariff window”, coupled with the peak season for container shipping orders, it is expected that due to 运力 adjustments and increased cargo volume, for enterprises exporting to the US market, the next step may be the beginning of a new round of “rush shipping tide”. Affected by the tariff war, many shipping companies previously suspended some routes to the US to maintain freight rates and transferred container ship capacity to other routes such as Europe, which may further aggravate the upcoming supply-demand shortage.

A freight forwarder manager said that on the day when China and the US announced mutual tariff reductions on May 12, the number of bookings and consultations was already 3-4 times the recent average. The significant drop in tariffs has led many Chinese foreign trade professionals to launch urgent booking actions. “There is more demand and fewer ships.” In addition, since US merchants are likely to hoard goods at this stage, export volume will increase rapidly in a short time, “so cabin space will be very tight in the near future.” Many freight forwarder company heads also said that since this week, everyone has been rushing to ship, and the market rhythm is very tense. The overall US route is close to being jam-packed.

According to foreign media Loadstar, shipping consulting firm Linerlytica said that after China and the US agreed to mutually reduce tariffs, shipping companies expect the peak season for trans-Pacific eastbound trade to come early and have announced levying surcharges of USD 1,000 to 2,000 per 40-foot container.

According to the regulations of the US Federal Maritime Commission, carriers must announce price changes 30 days before they take effect. However, some shipping companies have already implemented a general rate increase (GRI) for trans-Pacific eastbound routes on May 15.

ONE announced a GRI of USD 1,000 per FEU.

CMA CGM, Yang Ming, and Zim have a GRI of USD 2,000 per FEU.

COSCO, HMM, Hapag-Lloyd, and Evergreen have a GRI of USD 3,000 per FEU on May 15.

All seven shipping companies will also implement the same GRI on June 1. For specific freight adjustment details, please consult the corresponding shipping company.

Linerlytica said: “Since May 1, spot prices for the US West have basically remained at around USD 2,400 per 40 feet, but are expected to soar to more than USD 3,000 in the coming weeks. If demand rebounds strongly, it may continue to rise after June.”

According to data released by the Shanghai Shipping Exchange on May 9, under the capacity control of shipping companies, freight rates on the US route have maintained resilience, with the US West and East routes increasing by 3.3% and 1.6% respectively compared to the previous period. With the release of subsequent shipping demand, it is expected that the upward trend of freight rates in the US route market will become evident.

Of course, it is also necessary to consider that the remaining 30% tariffs will still suppress the profits of many export enterprises, and the actual scale of the rush shipping needs to be paid attention to.

Once again, remind shippers and freight forwarders who have plans to ship to the US recently to communicate well with shipping companies and customers, make shipping plans as early as possible, and avoid affecting shipments! Forward and inform~