The 90-day pause in U.S.-China tariffs has triggered an early trans-Pacific peak season, according to the latest DHL Ocean Freight Market update report, June 2025, as demand and rates surged, resulting in port congestion and vessel delays.

DHL said in the first week of June, freight rates from Shanghai to Los Angeles jumped by 57% while spot rates to New York rose by 39%.

"Cargo that was held due to the uncertainty of the tariffs is now being rushed out to the U.S. before the window closes. Across the board, we have been redeploying resources and advising customers on how to manage this spike for the first two weeks of June and the immediate future," said Praveen Gregory, senior vice president, Ocean Freight, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.

The DHL Ocean Freight Market update report noted that capacity has increased by an average of 16% year-to-date, and trans-Pacific capacity is projected to continue its upward trend over the next four weeks, with carriers adding extra loaders, resuming services, and new carriers entering the market.

While blank sailings in April and early May had limited the repositioning of empty containers back to China and raised concerns over the risk of equipment shortages, reports have shown that new container inventories in China had reached 1.55M TEU by the end of May, suggesting sufficient equipment to overcome potential shortages.

"The market reaction has been intense, although not unexpected," said Niki Frank, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.

"It will be challenging, but we have taken precautions to manage this crisis, leveraging our wide network of carriers to provide customers with a myriad of options," he added.