What has been the effect of US tariffs at the city's ports?

What has happened at ports in Shanghai over the past 10 days after US tariffs were imposed? Except for last Saturday when most shipping activities were suspended due to strong gales, nothing really special.

"Shipping services connected with the United States did decline, but they are only a small part of Shanghai's 350 international routes, which cover 700-plus ports in more than 200 countries and regions," according to the Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd.

The US "reciprocal tariffs" have accumulated to 145 percent for most Chinese exports to the US and an astonishing 245 percent for some critical minerals from China.

It has been turned into a "meaningless tariff numbers game with the US," said a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce earlier, making it clear that China would resolutely retaliate if the US continues to substantially infringe upon China's rights and interests.

But global trade won't get frozen even if the US stops all its trading activities.

Shanghai's Yangshan Port reported daily average vessel traffic of 24 large container ships in the past week, together with 60 feeder vessels, 600 transit ships and 44 passenger ships, while Waigaoqiao Port included 79 large container ships, 31 feeder vessels and 632 transit ships – all of which presented few changes.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China's exports to the US accounted for 14.7 percent of the country's total exports in 2024, down from 19.2 percent in 2018.

How to compensate for this 14.7 percent gap is now the question for traders.

An encouraging sign is diversification – China's exports to countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative grew 7.2 percent year on year in the first quarter, while China is also seeking new trading deals via better services and more efficiency.

The city has been preparing for long, with the goal of making itself a global shipping center for all.

In February, the "Gemini Cooperation" between shipping giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in Shanghai was officially launched, making the city a strategic base to assist trading in the regions such as Asia, the Middle East, Europe and emerging markets in Africa.

Meanwhile, Shanghai ports also host a lot of domestic trading activities to make the city a pivot of China's trade as well as the world. The Phase I of Shanghai Luojing Port has seen some terminals in operation, mainly to serve domestic trade.

Shanghai now ranked the third among the world's shipping hubs in the latest Xinhua – Baltic International Shipping Center Development Index Report. It has maintained its position as the largest and busiest container port in the world for the 14th year in a row.