TOKYO -- Cargo aboard containerships headed toward the U.S. has made a dramatic shift, with fewer vessels departing China and more leaving from Southeast Asia, reflecting changing consumption patterns in the wake of the pandemic and deteriorating Sino-American ties.
Overall, freight shipped from Asia to the U.S. fell 9% year-on-year in October, following a 3% decline in September, according to the Tokyo-based researcher Japan Maritime Center. Demand in the U.S. ahead of the holiday shopping season is softer than usual this year as retail stores stockpiled inventories during the pandemic-driven supply chain crunch.
