Saturday Radio Free Asia (RFA) Quote Reports from Chinese exporters and port officials said traffic is visibly slowing in China’s metropolitan cities in Shanghai and Guangdong, but some factories production is effectively “stop.”
The RFA saw considerable visual evidence for backing up these accounts of crushing Chinese Titanic exporters, including warehouses packed with stacks of shipping containers that are not loaded into cargo ships.
Chinese media reported that two of Shanghai’s biggest transport terminals “suddenly stopped” on Thursday after it flooded with businesses 24 hours ago. Exporters said other major terminals in China are becoming relatively quiet.
The insanity of activity mid-week came after US Customs and Border Protection announced that by April 9 the cargo in transit would not be subject to the enormous 145% tariff imposed by President Trump.
As that last chance day passed, activities at major Chinese ports slowed dramatically. Analysts said these ports will likely run in less than half until the tariff war ends.
The surrounding industries of Chinese port cities have also been frozen. The RFA cited Chinese businessmen who felt “benefitless among the general public” and saw “signs of economic recession” when shops and restaurants in port cities were closed.
Written Sunday in Maritime Executives, Marine Corps Logistics Veteran and Booze Allen Hamilton Associate Brain Worthington Proposed The US should work with partner countries to defeat China’s strangulation over transportation during tariff slowdowns.
Worthington pointed out that at the moment there are only about 185 merchant ships in the US, while China has 7,838. The US currently builds 0.1% of the world’s ships, while China builds 50.7%. A similar shortage will plague allies.
Noting that it will take years to spin up the new US shipyard, Worthington has proposed working with Japan, the Philippines and South Korea to put more ships underwater through the “Multilateral Maritime Alliance.”
