As global trade continues to respond to shifting tariffs, economic policies, and regional disruptions, understanding how bookings evolve week by week is more important than ever. Vizion accesses millions of ocean container freight bookings daily via our TradeView product. This booking data offers an early look into how global shippers are reacting to disruptions, often before the cargo even moves (take a look at our US Export Bookings data in our latest blog).

This blog will feature regular updates tracking weekly TEU booking volumes across global shipments, US imports, and China to US trade. You’ll find comparisons of week-over-week changes to evaluate momentum in 2025, alongside year-over-year comparisons to see how current activity stacks up against 2024 trends. From a global snapshot to country-specific views, each table offers a lens into how supply chains are moving.

Global Bookings

This chart shows total global TEU bookings each week in 2025, highlighting both week-over-week and year-over-year changes. Use it to track overall trade activity and spot inflection points across the global market.

US Import Bookings

Here we track weekly TEU volumes for all shipments bound for the United States. A key view for understanding how US demand is shifting and which weeks see major surges or slowdowns.

China to US Bookings

A focused view on TEUs booked from China to the US, this chart reflects one of the most closely watched trade lanes, especially relevant during tariff volatility.

Key Insights - Week of April 28, 2025

Container booking activity across key lanes remains highly unstable as we close out April, reflecting a turbulent global trade environment influenced by tariff shifts, geopolitical risk, and uncertain demand.

1. Global Booking Volumes Show No Consistent Trend: Despite some YoY improvement, global volumes remain choppy. A 25.4% WoW drop in late April follows several weeks of inconsistent movement, reinforcing the impact of short-term caution and long-term restructuring across trade lanes.
2. U.S. Import Volumes Continue to Slide: Despite a brief rebound the week of April 21, U.S. import bookings fell sharply by 25.9% the following week. Overall volumes have dropped more than 35% since late March, erasing early signs of stabilization.
3. China to U.S. Shipments Are Under Heavy Pressure: TEU volumes from China to the U.S. collapsed 42.7% the week of April 28, the sharpest weekly drop in 2025, and are down nearly 50% year-over-year in multiple April weeks, signaling deep disruption and sourcing shifts.

During the week of April 28 compared to the prior week, China-to-U.S. bookings saw sharp declines across several key product categories. Vehicle shipments (HS 87) dropped by 56.5%, while plastics (HS 39) and electronics (HS 85) fell 53.3% and 52.9% respectively. Steel goods (HS 73) also saw a significant dip at 52.1%, followed by textiles (HS 63) down 51.2%, and machinery (HS 84) down 49.1%. These back-to-back declines across multiple categories highlight the extent of the slowdown in Chinese exports to the U.S. as of late April.

Key Insights - Week of April 21, 2025

As of late April, container booking volumes have begun to recover modestly after several weeks of steep declines. While this week’s gains hint at stabilization, year-over-year comparisons remain sharply negative revealing continued uncertainty in the wake of tariff changes and shifting trade dynamics.

1. Global Bookings Edge Up Following Pullback: Worldwide TEU bookings grew 4.3% week-over-week, rising to 1.88 million TEUs. However, year-over-year volumes are still down 12.1%, indicating that the brief rebound has yet to overcome broader weakness stemming from macroeconomic and policy-related headwinds.
   1. For the week of April 21, 2025, two product categories posted the steepest week-over-week declines in global container bookings. HS Code 60 (Knitted Fabrics) fell by 18.9%, while HS Code 25 (Minerals and Cement) dropped by 15.5%. These sharp dips suggest a pullback in demand or order activity for key textile and building material inputs heading into late April.
2. US Imports Post Strong Weekly Gain: Container bookings to the U.S. rose 13.7% week-over-week to 310,869 TEUs. This follows a 12.3% drop the prior week and reflects some resumption of volume after a three-week slide. Still, volumes are 21.3% below the same week in 2024 and down 12.2% compared to March 24 levels, when tariff-related uncertainty began to ripple through booking patterns.
3. China to US Shipments Rebound Slightly but Remain Weak: After plummeting for three consecutive weeks, container bookings from China to the U.S. rose 11.8% week-over-week to 90,831 TEUs. Despite the improvement, bookings remain 48.6% lower than the same week last year, and 32.7% below the late March pre-tariff level of 134,911 TEUs, signaling that the recovery is tentative at best.

Key Insights - Week of April 14, 2025

As of mid-April container booking volumes have dropped sharply across nearly every trade lane tracked, marking the most significant disruption to global bookings so far in 2025. Several critical trends emerged this week:

1. Global Booking Momentum Stalls: Worldwide bookings declined 1.57% week-over-week and are down 9.94% year-over-year, with volumes slipping from March peaks. The drop follows a brief rebound, highlighting renewed volatility as supply chains digest shifting trade dynamics.
2. US Imports Hit Hard: Bookings to the US fell 12.15% week-over-week and 22.37% year-over-year, reversing gains from March and signaling widespread caution among importers. The pullback appears closely tied to policy-driven uncertainty, not typical seasonal behavior.
   1. Between the week of March 24 and April 14, 2025, U.S. import container bookings fell from 353,896 to 273,391 TEUs - a 22.7% decrease. This rapid fall off reveals the widespread disruption that followed the April tariff actions, as shippers delayed or canceled movements to reevaluate their strategies.
3. China to US Shipments Decline Sharply: Bookings from China to the US declined 22.14% week-over-week and are down 44.49% year-over-year, reflecting the steepest drop the week of April 14.
   1. Between the week of March 24 and April 14, 2025, container bookings from China to the U.S. dropped from 134,911 to 81,239 TEUs - a sharp 39.9% decrease in just three weeks. The decline highlights the severity of the market’s reaction to the April 4 and April 5 tariff announcements, as shippers paused new movements mid-cycle to reassess cost, routing, and inventory risk.

Across the board, these shifts reflect a critical inflection point in global trade activity where political decisions and economic caution are now visibly impacting freight demand.

‍What Booking Trends Reveal

The signal is clear. Shippers rushed to move product in Q1, then pulled back sharply as new tariff policies introduced widespread uncertainty. These dramatic shifts, visible in booking data well before they appear at ports or in customs reports, highlight the importance of early indicators in a rapidly changing trade environment.

With retaliatory tariffs paused but still on the horizon, many supply chain teams are rethinking timing, inventory levels, and sourcing strategies. We expect continued booking volatility in the weeks ahead, driven by shifting demand, temporary pauses, and changes in trade flows as global players adjust to evolving policies.

‍Get Ahead with Early Trade Intelligence

Vizion’s TradeView platform gives you live visibility into:

1. Booking trends by product type, HS code, or commodity
2. Changes by country or port
3. Shipment behavior by consignee, shipper, and logistics provider

Want a walkthrough? Schedule time with our team to explore how TradeView helps you anticipate disruption and stay competitive.

The rapid declines seen in April have wiped out much of the volume growth from February and March, despite record spikes earlier in the year driven by advanced ordering.

‍Stay Updated: Bookmark this blog or subscribe to our marketing list below for updates on global container booking trends, including US import activity and shipments from China. We’ll continue to track the data in real time to help you navigate what’s next.