As global trade reacts to new tariffs and shifting demand, container bookings are sending mixed signals. In Vizion’s latest TradeView Live session on July 29, we broke down the latest data and booking patterns across key trade lanes—including the U.S., China, EU, and Brazil. We also took a closer look at product-level movements, such as Brazil’s spike in coffee exports, and U.S. import trends for iron, steel, and aluminum, which still face a 50% tariff. Plus, we revisited forecasted arrivals into U.S. ports, including a spotlight on USLAX, to understand what’s heading toward the docks in August.

Here's what stood out.

July 2025 Global Container Booking Volumes Remain Flat

Despite major shifts in policy and sourcing this summer, global container bookings held relatively steady over the past five weeks. This plateau is consistent with mid-summer expectations, as many shippers frontloaded earlier in the quarter.

Weekly Global Container Bookings (2023-2025)

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

U.S. Import Container Bookings: Consistently Below 2024 Levels

U.S. import bookings have declined year over year across every week in July, with the most recent data showing a 16.8% drop compared to the same week in 2024. While there was a modest 4.1% week-over-week increase during the week of July 14, the broader trend points to weaker demand or delayed shipments. Volumes have hovered in the 340,000 to 375,000 TEU range but remain 11 to 17% lower than last year.

Weekly US Import Container Bookings (2023-2025)

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

China to U.S. Container Bookings Down 30% YoY in July 2025

Bookings from China to the United States continue to underperform compared to last year. After a small spike in the week of July 14, the most recent week saw another drop, bringing the year-over-year decline to nearly 30% for five weeks. This lane remains highly sensitive to policy shifts, sourcing changes, and demand fluctuations across key sectors like electronics and consumer goods.

Weekly China to US Container Bookings (2023-2025)

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

Forecasting Container Arrivals: How Accurate Were We—and What’s Coming Next

Back in June, Vizion forecasted container arrivals into U.S. ports and USLAX, the most common entry point for China-origin shipments. The results showed high accuracy across the board:

U.S. Port Arrival Forecast Accuracy (June 2025):

1. Week of June 2–8: 98.7%
2. Week of June 9–15: 88.6%
3. Week of June 16–22: 96.8%

USLAX Forecast Accuracy:

1. Week of June 2–8: 92.4%
2. Week of June 9–15: 87.4%
3. Week of June 16–22: 91.7%

These strong results highlight the reliability of Vizion’s forecast methodology, which blends planned TEU volumes from confirmed bookings with machine learning predictions to generate a comprehensive view of weekly arrivals.

Now, we're reforecasting for the current and upcoming weeks. Here’s what U.S. ports and USLAX can expect in August:

Total U.S. Forecasted Arrivals (July 28 to August 24): 2.67 million TEUs, reflecting a 5.1% year-over-year increase

Total USLAX Forecasted Arrivals: 516,529 TEUs, reflecting a 6.9% year-over-year increase

With volumes holding steady and forecast accuracy consistently strong, shippers and logistics teams can use these projections to plan more effectively for labor, drayage, and inventory through peak season.

Brazil to U.S. Bookings: Coffee and Tea Volumes Surge

Brazilian exports to the U.S. under HS Code 9 (coffee, tea, and spices) have softened significantly in July. After a brief mid-June spike, booking volumes have dropped sharply, with the most recent week (July 21) down 21% week over week and more than 75% year over year. The slowdown likely reflects a combination of frontloaded shipments earlier in the summer and awaiting a final tariff decision.

‍Iron, Steel, and Aluminum Bookings Show Movement

Booking trends for metals (HS Codes 72, 73, and 76), including iron, steel, and aluminum, are trending downward. Despite being core to global infrastructure and manufacturing, all three categories have seen notable year-over-year booking declines in recent weeks. The drop may reflect reduced project demand, tightening budgets, or the continued impact of the 50% tariff on select industrial imports. These materials remain tariff sensitive and could face further volatility if trade policies continue to evolve.

HS Code 72 (Iron + Steel Products)

HS Code 73 (Iron + Steel Products)

HS Code 76 (Iron + Steel Products)

What This Means Going Forward

As we move deeper into Q3, container bookings appear steady at a global level, but significant variation is emerging by product and region. Tariffs are shaping sourcing behavior in real time, and Vizion’s TradeView platform will continue tracking those shifts week by week. Join us for the next TradeView Live on August 12 at 11:30am to see how these trends evolve.

Explore the Charts: Watch the full replay and access interactive graphs from this session.