The White House announced Wednesday that it is imposing an additional 25% tariff on India imports, bringing the total duties on goods from one of America’s key trading partners to 50%. The escalation comes in response to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil and is already influencing global supply chains. This report analyzes the resulting shifts in container bookings between the United States and India, highlighting weekly and daily activity across both directions, as well as key product categories impacted by the new trade policy.

Container bookings from India to U.S. surge in Q1, then soften ahead of tariff escalation

*Interactive: Scroll or hover to see weekly TEU volumes for each year

Despite tariff pressures, weekly container bookings from India to the United States have remained strong through 2025. Week 9 marked a notable surge, with over 25,000 TEUs booked, the highest weekly volume from India in over a year.

However, the data also shows emerging volatility. Bookings began to level off in Week 28 and declined slightly through July, suggesting that shippers may have front-loaded volumes in anticipation of trade disruptions. While the current weekly average for 2025 still outpaces prior years, the recent shift in tariff policy may alter this trajectory in the second half of the year.

4-week booking slide as tariff announcement looms (Weeks 27–30)

1. Week 27: down 14.5% YoY
2. Week 28: down 26.9% YoY
3. Week 29: down 30.2% YoY
4. Week 30: down 15.7% YoY (despite a +12.5% WoW bump)

This four-week stretch marks the most sustained YoY booking decline of the year, pointing to growing importer hesitation and potential market saturation following earlier front-loading.

Daily bookings peak on July 28 as 7-day average hits highest level of the year

*Interactive: Scroll or hover to see daily TEU volumes

Daily container bookings from India to the U.S. remained consistently strong through May, June, and most of July, with the 7-day average trending between 2,900 and 3,400 TEUs. On July 28, daily volume spiked to 5,287 TEUs, the highest level recorded during the period. The surge may reflect final shipments ahead of tariff enforcement. While the 7-day average dipped slightly below 3,000 by early August, overall booking activity remained steady, showing no sharp or sustained retreat in response to policy changes.

Furniture, Machinery, and Iron & Steel lead India to U.S. container volumes in 2025

*Interactive: Scroll to explore products and their TEU volumes

Furniture (HS Code 94), machinery (HS Code 84), and iron and steel products (HS Code 73) have consistently ranked among the top containerized exports from India to the U.S. throughout 2025. Weekly bookings for furniture surpassed 1,500 TEUs in multiple weeks, peaking at 2,492 TEUs in Week 9. Machinery and steel products also showed strong performance, with both categories maintaining volumes above 1,000 TEUs for most of the year. Vehicles (HS Code 87) and electrical equipment (HS Code 85) round out the top five, each showing resilient booking activity even as tariff policy shifted midyear. Apparel categories, including knitted and woven goods (HS Codes 61 and 62), remained more volatile and lower in total volume, reflecting sensitivity to price pressures and consumer demand fluctuations.

U.S. to India container bookings spike in July before dropping sharply in August

*Interactive: Scroll or hover to see weekly TEU volumes for each year

Container bookings from the United States to India showed stable performance through the first half of 2025, with volumes generally tracking close to or slightly above prior years. A major surge occurred in July, peaking in Week 29 with 21,860 TEUs, which marked the highest weekly outbound volume to India since 2023. This sharp increase likely reflects a final push ahead of India’s retaliatory tariff enforcement. However, the momentum did not last. Bookings dropped significantly in the following weeks, with Week 31 falling to just 13,390 TEUs, down 39% from two weeks earlier. This rapid reversal suggests exporters may now be reassessing outbound strategies as bilateral trade tensions intensify.

India to U.S. booking volumes show sporadic swings but hold near normal levels

1. Week 28: up 7.6% YoY
2. Week 29: up 41.5% YoY
3. Week 30: down 12.6% YoY
4. Week 31: down 14.7% YoY

U.S. to India daily bookings reached yearly peak at 7,032 TEUs on July 15 before declining in August

*Interactive: Scroll or hover to see daily TEU volumes

Daily bookings from the United States to India showed relatively low volatility through May and June, with the 7-day average hovering between 1,900 and 2,400 TEUs. Activity began to accelerate in early July, culminating in a dramatic spike on July 15, when over 7,000 TEUs were booked, the highest daily total of the year. The 7-day average also peaked that week at nearly 3,400 TEUs. However, this intensity was short-lived. Bookings quickly declined in the final days of July and into August, with the 7-day average falling below 2,000 TEUs again by the end of the period. The data reflects a brief surge in outbound shipments likely tied to tariff timing, followed by a notable pullback in early August.

Get Ahead with Early Trade Intelligence

Vizion’s TradeView platform gives you live visibility into:

1. Booking trends by country, product type, HS code, or commodity
2. Changes by country or port
3. Shipment behavior by consignee, shipper, and logistics provider

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