Recent port arrivals in the U.S. include at least seven Chinese-flagged container vessels that have docked at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with an additional five ships expected to arrive shortly. These vessels collectively carry more than 12,000 containers destined for major American retailers, according to shipping data cited by CNBC and Marine Traffic.

Looking at the weekly schedule, during the period from May 4 to May 10, 2025, only 12 Chinese container ships are planned to arrive at the critical Southern California ports—a sharp decline from 22 ships during the week of April 20 to 26. This represents a 44% decrease compared to the same period last year.

Tracking systems such as Port Optimizer confirm that these figures are based on manifests from vessels already en route or preparing to depart from Asia for the U.S. market. Industry insiders note that approximately 45% of ships originally scheduled for the China-U.S. route are currently idling near Chinese ports, due to canceled orders and blank sailings—scheduled departures that have been canceled amid the tariff uncertainties.

Despite the bleak numbers, there are emerging signs of a slight recovery. Some exporters are beginning to secure space for shipments planned in mid-May, driven by hopes that tariffs might be reduced or eased soon. The high levels of blank sailings and vessel idling remain unprecedented, but the movement of some cargo persists, fueled by supply chain momentum and the expectation that trade policies could soon shift.

As of early May 2025, around 12 Chinese-flagged container ships are scheduled to arrive at major U.S. ports, with at least seven already docked and the remaining five en route. While this volume remains well below typical levels due to the tariff-induced slowdown, the cautious resumption of bookings suggests that the industry is preparing for a potential gradual rebound if trade policies are relaxed.