Typically, this is the time of year when shipments into the U.S. are peaking ahead of the holidays, but 2025 is a different story. As Chinese exports continue to plunge, overall freight trade to the U.S. has slowed to a crawl.
Imports from China have faced three straight weeks of 27% year-over-year declines, according to data from Vizion, and the latest ocean freight bookings data shows that a traditional rush of freight containers into the country in late September is not likely to materialize.
“Normally, we would expect a peak starting from the last week of September ahead of Golden Week,” said Catherine Chien, chairwoman of global shipping and logistics company Dimerco Express Group. Golden Week is a major holiday week in China during which many businesses are closed. “So far, there are no clear signs or major orders in the market indicating this trend,” she said.
The top five product segments contributing to the reduction in Chinese exports to the U.S., according to data analysis by Vizion, are furniture, toys and sporting equipment, electrical devices and components, machinery, and plastic and plastic products.
The toys category is a good example of what logistics professionals describe as a flatlining of trade between the U.S. and China.
