Charted: The Slump in U.S. Shipping Exports
What We're Showing
The decline in U.S. exports by ocean carrier from January to April 2025, expressed in number of twenty-foot equivalent shipping container units.
The data comes from Panjiva and was sourced via CNBC.
The Slump in U.S. Shipping Exports
Following the implementation of Trump's reciprocal tariffs in early April, worldwide U.S. exports of containers via ocean carrier dropped sharply in April to 57,300 TEUs, down 78% from March levels.
In particular, U.S. ocean carrier exports to China declined by 77% from March to April 2025. The slump in exports is associated with the decline in container ships coming to the United States, as the number of freight ships coming from China fell with U.S. businesses cancelling manufacturing orders.
Exports from most U.S. ports fell after the tariff announcement. America's busiest port, the Port of Los Angeles, saw a 17% fall in TEUs booked between the periods of Feb. 23–March 2, 2025, and March 30–May 3, 2025.
With both nations having rolled back the tariffs in the latest trade breakthrough on May 12, U.S. shipping exports are likely to pick up steam again in May and June.