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Container shipping traffic is plummeting along transpacific sea routes as the United States' tariff policies cast a chill over global trade, forcing shipping companies to cancel voyages at short notice due to lack of demand.

Cargo bookings for the next three weeks are reported to be down 30-60 per cent in China and 10-20 per cent in the rest of Asia, according to market intelligence firm Linerlytica, as sky-high US duties effectively make it impossible for many Chinese exporters to sell to America.

"The US-China standoff continues to keep container market sentiment poor with US tariff concessions far from sufficient to restore transpacific volumes," Linerlytica said in a note on Tuesday.

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China's ports saw an immediate drop in demand following US President Donald Trump's announcement of plans to slap so-called "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of countries in early April, according to data from the Ministry of Transport.

Container throughput at Chinese ports tumbled 6.1 per cent, week on week, during the period of April 7-13, reversing a 1.9 per cent rise a week earlier.

Many transpacific shipping companies have resorted to blank sailings, which refers to carriers cancelling scheduled voyages, Danish consultancy Sea-Intelligence said in a note on Sunday.

The upcoming Labour Day holiday will further dampen cargo demand in May, and could force carriers to cancel additional sailings over the coming weeks, according to Linerlytica.

US President Donald Trump has raised duties on Chinese imports by an eye-watering 145 per cent since returning to office in January, leading Beijing to hit back with its own retaliatory tariffs.

Though the US has since said it would exclude 20 product categories from its "reciprocal" tariffs on China - including smartphones, computers and memory chips - the move is not expected to boost shipping demand, as the items are typically transported by air freight due to their small size.

However, Trump's decision to pause "reciprocal" tariff hikes on countries other than China for 90 days may cause container bookings to bounce back in the rest of Asia - for a few months, at least.

Factories in Southeast Asia have reportedly received a surge in orders since the tariff pause was announced last week, with US clients desperate to stock up during the 90-day window.

"All US importers getting cargo from anywhere but China are sure to fast-track volume in the next three months, to get their peak-season goods through customs before the July 9 deadline," Sea-Intelligence said.

The world's largest container shipping firm, Mediterranean Shipping Company, recently announced a peak-season surcharge of US$1,000 per 40-foot equivalent unit for voyages from northern Europe to North America.

Shipping rates are likely to increase in the coming weeks due to the latest tariff policies and reduced shipping capacity, maritime consultancy Drewry said in a report on Thursday. 

To read it in msn.com : click here