High US Tariffs Cripple China Ports: Containers Pile Up, Activity Nearly Halted

Recently, major Chinese ports such as Shanghai and Guangzhou have suddenly fallen silent, turning from bustling hubs to empty areas packed with containers. Chinese media have admitted that shipping activity has almost come to a standstill since April 10. Analysts warn that with the complete decoupling of trade between the United States and China, China's shipping volume could plunge by half.

According to a Breitbart News report, since President Trump imposed a 145% import tariff on Chinese products, port activity in Shanghai and Guangdong has dropped drastically. This has triggered a domino effect on China's manufacturing and shipping sectors. 

Chinese media described how Shanghai's two largest shipping terminals, which had been very busy for the previous week, suddenly went completely paralyzed on April 10. After that, other major shipping hubs in China also went into a freeze. 

The reason is that US Customs and Border Protection stated that goods shipped before April 9 were still exempt from the 145% tariff. Once the deadline passed, port activity immediately stopped.

Radio Free Asia quoted exporters and port officials in China as saying that traffic in major port cities has dropped drastically. Production in some factories has also come to a standstill. Journalists reported that containers are piling up on docks, and warehouses are full of goods that have yet to be shipped.

Analysts predict that in the context of the US-China trade severance, shipping volumes at China's major shipping hubs could drop by half or even lower.

Meanwhile, supporting sectors around port cities have also been affected. Many shops and restaurants have been forced to close temporarily, the number of customers has dropped drastically, and people are starting to worry that an economic recession is starting to occur. (Jhon)

Source: NTDTV.com