After the early May announcement of a reciprocal tariff pause between the United States and China, container bookings surged, not only on China-origin lanes but across all U.S. inbound trade. While the policy shift directly impacted China-to-U.S. flows, it also triggered a broader booking rebound as shippers worldwide responded to shifting demand signals and the potential for renewed trade stability.

This blog breaks down the most notable shifts in TEU bookings by HS code for:

1. All U.S. imports (regardless of origin), and
2. U.S.-bound imports from China specifically, where the tariff pause had the most immediate and concentrated impact.

Let’s dig into which products saw the biggest movement.

🇺🇸 ALL U.S. Import Bookings

Standout Increases in U.S. Import Bookings

The data below highlights changes over a two-week span, comparing booking volumes from the week of April 28 (April 28-May 4) to May 12 (May 12-May 18).

1. Furniture (HS 94) - Bookings exploded from 17,550 TEUs the week of April 28 to 53,614 TEUs the week of May 12, a 205% increase in just two weeks.
2. Glass Products (HS 70) - Glass shipments jumped from 2,696 TEUs to 11,092 TEUs in the same period, marking a 311% rise.
3. Knitted Fabrics (HS 60) & Textiles (HS 63) - Knitted fabric bookings rose 150% (from 178 to 445 TEUs), while textiles climbed 144%, from 3,042 to 7,426 TEUs.
4. Fur Products (HS 43) & Leather Goods (HS 42) - A surprising mover, fur products surged 581%, growing from 1,264 TEUs to 8,617 TEUs. Leather goods also spiked 117%, reaching their highest volume of 2025.
5. Plastics (HS 39) - With a 153% increase (8,117 to 20,548 TEUs), plastics hit their highest booking volume of the year.
6. Toys & Sporting Goods (HS 95) - This category rose from 4,926 to 16,242 TEUs, up 230% in two weeks.

Several other categories hit their highest weekly booking volumes of 2025 during the week of May 12, including:

1. Edible Vegetables (HS 07)
2. Prepared Meat & Seafood (HS 16)
3. Processed Fruits & Vegetables (HS 20)
4. Organic Chemicals (HS 29)
5. Cleaning Products (HS 38)
6. Rubber (HS 40)
7. Paper Products (HS 48)
8. Stone, Cement (HS 68)
9. Ceramic Products (HS 69)
10. Aluminum Products (HS 76)
11. Electrical Equipment (HS 85)
12. Vehicles (HS 87) - up 54% vs 2025’s weekly average
13. Clocks & Watches (HS 91)
14. Works of Art (HS 97)
15. Lead Products (HS 78) -bookings soared from 22 to 173 TEUs (+686%)

Not all categories joined the surge. Some are showing caution, or an intentional correction:

1. Sugars (HS 17): After a brief lift to 1,432 TEUs the week of May 5, bookings fell back to 1,018 TEUs, 27% below the 2025 weekly average.
2. Woven Clothing (HS 62): Bookings dropped 20%, from 7,419 TEUs to 5,863 TEUs between May 5 and May 12.
3. Footwear (HS 64): Remains volatile. After dipping to 6,299 TEUs the week of April 28, bookings rebounded to 11,368 TEUs by May 12, an 80% jump.
4. Machinery (HS 84): Back to steady booking behavior after a brief dip. Bookings climbed from 11,927 TEUs to 21,030 TEUs (a 76% increase).

🇨🇳 China-to-U.S. Booking Surges

While several of the booking surges seen across all U.S. imports also show up in China-origin shipments—such as the surge in furniture, plastics, and toys—several product categories experienced even more pronounced jumps when looking specifically at China to U.S. flows. In some cases, the spikes from China outpaced the global trend by a wide margin, revealing how central China remains to U.S. supply chains, particularly in consumer goods, industrial inputs, and seasonal shipments.

Standout Increases in China-to-U.S. Import Bookings

The data below highlights changes over a two-week span, comparing booking volumes from the week of April 28 (April 28-May 4) to May 12 (May 12-May 18).

1. Furniture (HS 94) - TEU bookings skyrocketed to 30,728 the week of May 12, up 358% from just 6,695 TEUs two weeks prior.
2. Toys & Sporting Goods (HS 95) - This category jumped from 3,845 TEUs to 14,574 TEUs in two weeks, nearly a 280% increase.
3. Seafood (HS 03) & Living Plants (HS 06): While smaller in total volume, these categories posted some of the largest percentage gains. Seafood grew 406% and live plants grew 506% in two weeks.
4. Organic Chemicals (HS 29) -Jumped to 1,128 TEUs the week of May 12, up from just 302 TEUs on April 28, a 273% increase.
5. Plastics (HS 39) - A major surge to 13,954 TEUs, up from 2,334 two weeks earlier (+497%).
6. Iron & Steel Products (HS 73) - Bookings reached 6,471 TEUs, up from just 1,446 the week prior, marking a 347% gain.
7. Machinery (HS 84) - A massive jump to 10,177 TEUs the week of May 12, compared to only 2,095 TEUs two weeks earlier, a 385% increase.

Other notable food & agricultural increases include: 

1. Edible Vegetables (HS 07) - TEU bookings from China jumped to 1,162, well above the 2025 weekly average of 479.
2. Processed Fruits & Vegetables (HS 20) - Bookings rose to 1,540 TEUs, nearly 4x their weekly average of 390 TEUs.

The data confirms what many in the market sensed immediately: the tariff pause ignited rapid and significant increases in booking behaviors. Whether this burst of volume holds or simply represents front-loaded demand remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: shippers are moving fast, and container flows are shifting rapidly in response to policy signals.

Get Ahead with Early Trade Intelligence

Vizion’s TradeView platform gives you live visibility into:

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

Want a walkthrough? Schedule time with our team to explore how TradeView helps you anticipate disruption and stay competitive.