China and U.S. Booking Trends Shift Ahead of November Tariff Deadline Extension
- zarra6
- Aug 14
- 2 min read
14 August 2025 VIZION
With the U.S.–China tariff hike postponed 90 days to November 10, 2025, importers have a brief window under the current regime: 10% “reciprocal” tariffs and 20% “fentanyl” tariffs on most Chinese goods, plus sectoral add-ons, while China keeps a 10% tariff on U.S. imports. Without this pause, duties would have jumped to 145% on U.S. imports from China and 125% on China’s retaliation, so short-term planning for the holiday build is back on the table and near-term pull-forward is likely. In this deep dive, we analyze how booking behavior is adjusting on both China to U.S. and U.S. to China lanes, with three-year trendlines, year-over-year and week-over-week changes, daily patterns since May, and product categories to watch, so operators can make sourcing, pricing, and inventory decisions with clearer signal before the November deadline.
China to U.S. bookings in 2025 rebound sharply after slow start
China-to-U.S. container bookings have followed a familiar seasonal arc over the past three years, but 2025 stands out for its slower start and sharper mid-year rebound. Weekly volumes in early Q1 2025 lagged both 2023 and 2024, bottoming in Week 5 before climbing steadily. A significant surge began in late May, peaking in Weeks 20 and 21 at more than 220,000 TEUs, as shippers front-loaded orders ahead of potential tariff hikes. Since then, bookings have eased but remain elevated compared with early-year levels.
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