The US tariffs on China have been postponed another 90 days until November 10. The US will keep its tariffs at 30%, and China will maintain its levies at 10% through to the autumn as negotiations between the world’s two biggest economies continue.

Commenting on the news via LinkedIn, Lars Jensen, who runs container shipping consultancy Vespucci Maritime, said US importers now had some clarity on the short-term situation relevant to importing goods for the holiday season, something that could result in a temporary increase in Pacific spot rates.

Kuehne+Nagel noted in its latest ocean market update that container loadings to the US west coast routes have remained stable in the first half of August, while the US east coast has faced significant loading pressure due to intense competition for cargo.