Drewry: No “lasting impact” from tariff break as ocean rates fall again

Container rates are giving back recent gains, as U.S.-bound container traffic slumps after a surge fueled by the tariff pause.

Shipping consultancy and SONAR data partner Drewry saw its World Container Index fall 9% this week, the second consecutive weekly drop following five weeks of gains.

“This decline is a direct result of low demand for U.S.-bound cargo, and is a sign that the recent surge in imports to the United States, which occurred after the temporary halt of higher U.S. tariffs, will fail to have the lasting impact we had initially expected,” Drewry said in a note.

SONAR data shows inbound loaded containers to U.S. ports approaching record 2024 levels.