Asian container shipping to the US fell 7% in January

Japan saw a 13% decline

Data compiled by US research firm Descartes Datamyne shows that in January, the number of container shipments from Asia to the US was 1,726,078, a 7% year-on-year decrease. This marks the fifth consecutive month of decline compared to the same period last year since September 2025. Freight activity originating from China remains sluggish due to the US-China trade tensions.

Ships originating from mainland China fell 18% year-on-year, marking the fifth consecutive month of double-digit negative growth. Shipments from South Korea fell 11%, Singapore fell 10%, and Japan fell 13%. Compared to the same period last year, which saw some early shipments due to market concerns about high US tariffs, the current situation is affected by the correction.

On the other hand, freight volume from Southeast Asia is showing an upward trend, influenced by the US’s accelerated shift towards purchasing from countries outside China. Shipments from Vietnam increased by 37%. Significant increases were also seen from countries such as Thailand (30%) and Malaysia (69%). Shipments originating from India, where the US imposed additional tariffs at the end of August, also turned positive, increasing by 3% year-on-year.

By category, furniture, the largest category in terms of shipment volume, declined by 7% year-on-year. Categories related to personal consumption, such as toys (down 9%), continued to decline. A wide range of categories, including machinery (down 7%) and automobiles (down 8%), also fell below the levels of the same period last year.