On May 9, 2025, Chinese cargo ships were completely absent from major ports in the western United States for the first time, indicating that the US-China trade tensions have had a significant impact on the global supply chain. Although 41 cargo ships were scheduled to depart from China for San Pedro Bay six days ago, none arrived that day, breaking the record since the outbreak of the epidemic.

Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, warned that the current situation of ship cancellations and reduced arrivals has exceeded the worst period of the epidemic. If it does not improve quickly, the consumer market may face supply shortages in the short term.

Under the pressure of high tariffs and trade barriers, cargo volume at the Port of Long Beach has dropped by about 35-40% compared to usual, and the Port of Los Angeles has also seen a drop of more than 30%. East coast ports such as New York and New Jersey also issued warnings simultaneously. 

The Port of Seattle even stated that there were no container ships docked on May 7, indicating that port operations had reached an abnormally low ebb.