Key Chinese trade hubs are beginning to show early signs of disruption as the US-China tariff war intensifies, according to news reports. Major export provinces and shipping ports, including Shanghai and Guangdong, have seen a sharp decline in activity.

By Thursday, “almost no cargo ships were headed to the US and export factories in key provinces that support China’s export industry had come to a standstill”. Shipping containers that missed the April 9 deadline for US-bound vessels are now stacked high at these ports. In Zhejiang and Guangdong—the provinces contributing the most to China’s exports in 2024—factory operations have been brought to a halt. Warehouses are filled with products initially destined for the US.