Major shipping carriers are canceling multiple weekly routes between China and the United States as the fallout from the Trump administration’s aggressive tariff strategy continues to hammer global trade. According to maritime analysts, at least six transpacific services have been suspended in recent weeks, eliminating capacity for over 25,000 forty-foot containers per week — the equivalent of more than 1.3 million annually.
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The cutbacks come amid a collapse in demand for China-made goods following President Donald Trump’s move to impose sweeping 145% tariffs, prompting widespread order cancellations from U.S. importers. Toy manufacturers, footwear producers, car part suppliers, and U.S. industrial clients are among the hardest hit.
“These aren’t warning signs — they’re confirmation of declining economic activity,” said Simon Sundboell, CEO of Danish maritime data firm eeSea.
The suspended routes affect all major U.S. coasts, with four hitting the West Coast and one each impacting the East and Gulf Coasts. Shipping lines involved include MSC, Zim, and the Ocean Alliance (Cosco, Evergreen, CMA CGM, and OOCL), according to eeSea.
Although Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd’s Gemini Alliance have avoided suspending services, both companies have downsized some vessels to mitigate falling demand.
The trade collapse comes at a pivotal moment. U.S. and Chinese officials are meeting in Switzerland this weekend, seeking a path forward after months of tariff-driven stalemate.
In the interim, carriers are deploying a familiar tool: blank sailings — the cancellation of individual scheduled voyages — to cut costs and stabilize rates. These tactics, widely used since the COVID-19 pandemic, help operators avoid oversupply while maintaining profitability.
Retail giants like Amazon and Walmart, which together account for nearly half of global container trade, have paused or canceled orders from China in response to surging import costs.
According to maritime consultancy Drewry, blank sailings on the Asia–North America corridor have soared. By early May, 24% of voyages were canceled, up from just 9% at the end of March. On Asia–West Coast routes, capacity fell 20% in April and 12% so far in May. East Coast cuts were even steeper, dropping 22% in April and 18% in May.
MSC, the world’s largest container line, canceled 30% of its transpacific sailings in April — more than any competitor. In May, the Premier Alliance (ONE, HMM, and Yang Ming) leads with a 20% blank sailing rate.
Industry leaders warn that the full impact of the tariff war may not be felt until July, when U.S. container import volumes could plunge by 25% or more compared to last year.
“Something’s got to give,” said Alan Murphy, CEO of Sea-Intelligence. “Either we’ll see even more capacity taken out of the market, or spot rates will begin to collapse.”
