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December US imports fall 5.9% year-on-year, as China volumes weaken

December US imports fall 5.9% year-on-year, as China volumes weaken

China-origin imports continued to weaken, accounting for 31.7% – the lowest December share in the last six years.

US containerised imports fell by 5.9% in December 2025 when compared to a year earlier, as shipments from China continued to fall, pushing Beijing’s share of the market to its lowest December level in six years, according to data from Descartes Systems Group. Total US container imports reached 2.23m TEU in December, up 2.0% month on month, reflecting a typical seasonal stabilisation after a sharper slowdown in November. Despite periods of resilience earlier in the year, full-year 2025 import volumes ended 0.4% below 2024 levels, reversing what was nearly 10% year-over-year growth at the start of the year. Descartes noted that the decline was likely due to early-year front-loading giving way to slower growth, shifting sourcing patterns and persistent policy uncertainty “This gradual softening likely reflects a combination of frontloaded shipments in...

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Section 301 vessel fee regime taking effect on October 14

Section 301 vessel fee regime taking effect on October 14

Vessels built, owned, or operated in China will be refused loading and unloading at US ports if they arrive without proof of payment under the new Section 301 vessel fee regime taking effect on October 14 The United States will begin enforcing new port fees targeting Chinese-built, owned, and...

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India’s exports to US set to feel the brunt of new tariffs

India’s exports to US set to feel the brunt of new tariffs

US tariffs on India deal a new blow to shippers who turned to the country to de-risk supply chains from China, with many calling it a “doomsday” and “trade embargo”, but the true impact remains to be seen, hinging on the longevity of the tariffs given the whimsical nature of...

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Tariff plot twist: China drives global container market shakeup

Tariff plot twist: China drives global container market shakeup

Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc says that China’s growing exports to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America amid US tariffs might be driving a fundamental reshaping of the global container market. When US President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on key trading partners in April 2025 —...

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US - Japan strike 15% Tariff deal on Cars

US - Japan strike 15% Tariff deal on Cars

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a trade deal with Japan, cutting US tariffs on Japanese cars to 15% and opening Japanese markets to American goods, in what he described as “perhaps the largest deal ever made.” Trump added that under the deal, Japan has committed to...

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MSC container ship carrying hazardous cargo sinks off Kochi carrying 640 containers

MSC container ship carrying hazardous cargo sinks off Kochi carrying 640 containers

The Liberian-flagged containership MSC ELSA 3 capsized and subsequently sank off the coast of Kochi at approximately 07:50 on 25 May 2025, after developing a 26-degree list to starboard. All 24 crew members were rescued—21 by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and three by the Indian Navy...

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US court strikes down Trump’s tariffs, citing presidential overreach

US court strikes down Trump’s tariffs, citing presidential overreach

The ruling said Trump overstepped his emergency powers when he imposed tariffs. The US federal court has ruled that the US President Donald Trump overstepped his constitutional authority in imposing a series of sweeping tariffs against US trading partners, siding with a coalition of 12 US...

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US trade war with China escalates.

US trade war with China escalates.

Container throughput was up again in March, but Gene Seroka warned the industry to “buckle up, this is going to get really bumpy for us” as US trade war with China escalates. March and April could well be the last two months of growth in container throughput the Port of Los Angeles...

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ILA shuts down ports on Atlantic and Gulf coast

ILA shuts down ports on Atlantic and Gulf coast

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has launched a coast-wide shutdown of ports from Maine to Texas at 12:01 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Tens of thousands of ILA members set up picket lines at critical waterfront facilities across the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts,...

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ILA says it will move forward with strike on Tuesday 1st October

ILA says it will move forward with strike on Tuesday 1st October

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) has confirmed its plans to initiate a strike across all Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports from Maine to Texas, beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, October 1, 2024 The confirmation came in a statement issued on Sunday, September...

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No visible flames on YM Mobility, says Yang Ming

No visible flames on YM Mobility, says Yang Ming

The fire on board YM Mobility seems to be under control with ‘no visible flames on board’ as cooling efforts continue following Friday’s explosion, according to Yang Ming. There are ‘no visible flames’ on board the YM Mobility, following a massive explosion on...

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