On 29 September 2026, The Loadstar reported that Transpacific rates are set to fall even as China and the United States agreed the previous day to mutually cut tariffs on about $30 billion of goods, many of which move in containers. The “30-for-30” package covers a combined 1,696 product lines, with tariffs on more than 90% of listed products due to drop to standard most-favoured-nation rates once both sides complete domestic legal procedures and implement the cuts simultaneously.
The Chinese list (1,619 items) is dominated by agricultural commodities—corn, wheat, meat, dairy—plus seafood, wood products, cosmetics, medical devices and coal, with Beijing also committing to import at least 10 million tonnes of US coal annually in 2027 and 2028. The US list is narrower (77 categories) but covers containerised consumer goods such as toys, small kitchen appliances, tableware, blankets, bed linen, fireworks, holiday decorations and children’s car seats. Soybeans, rare earths and AI-linked products are excluded.
On the ocean side, Loadstar said the Shanghai Containerised Freight Index showed Shanghai–US west and east coast rates each down 1% from 18 September, to $7,463 and $10,497 per 40ft respectively, ending a five-month upward streak. Linerlytica commented that China’s exports of small appliances, tableware, bed linens, toys, fireworks and holiday ornaments would receive only a minor boost and that the tariff cuts come too late for the Transpacific peak, which is ending as Golden Week begins on 1 October. Separately, Maersk will withdraw its Transpacific Express (TPX) Asia–USWC extra-loader service next month, removing weekly capacity of about 4,000 teu. Analysts also noted the broader trade truce’s moderate trade-weighted reach—roughly 30% of US exports to China versus a much larger China-to-US import base—so sourcing teams should treat duty relief as a pending legal step, not a freight catalyst for early October.