Zero ships from China are bound for California's top ports. Officials haven't seen that since the pandemic

[Nevilledog]

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/10/business/zero-ships-china-trade-ports-pandemic


CNN
—
On Friday morning, West Coast port officials told CNN about a startling sight: Not a single cargo vessel had left China with goods for the two major West Coast ports in the past 12 hours. That hasn’t happened since the pandemic.

Six days ago, 41 vessels were scheduled to depart China for the San Pedro Bay Complex, which encompasses both the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach in California. On Friday, it was zero.

President Donald Trump’s trade war imposed massive tariffs on most Chinese imports last month. That’s led to fewer ships at sea carrying less cargo to America’s ports. For many businesses, it is now too expensive to do business with China, one of America’s most important trading partners.

Officials are concerned not just about the lack of vessels leaving China, but the speed at which that number dropped.

“That’s cause for alarm,” said Mario Cordero, the CEO of the Port of Long Beach. “We are now seeing numbers in excess of what we witnessed in the pandemic” for cancellations and fewer vessel arrivals.

*snip*

[orangecrush]

1. Now MAGATS

Are going to get what they voted for.

Unfortunately we get to go along for the ride to the bottom

[Igel]

2. "Oddly specific number," that 12.

What happens if it's expanded to 24 or 36?