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China’s factories and ports are buzzing nearly a year after Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. Exports and orders have jumped ahead of the Lunar New Year, with ports handling 40% more containers and freight rates climbing, as the US eased tariffs on Chinese goods to 47%.
Nearly a year after US President Donald Trump announced "Liberation Day" tariffs that spooked exporters and customers across the world, Chinese factories and ports are now buzzing with activity, CNBC reported.
The factory activity in China usually surges at the beginning of the year, with manufacturers rushing to fulfil orders and ship goods before the country enters a period of extended holidays to mark the Chinese New Year. And, Beijing is witnessing a strong pre-holiday rush despite Trump tariffs.
A Guangdong-based electronics manufacturer told CNBC that his factory was operating nearly at full capacity after seeing a year of stop-start tariff threats: “We are very busy," he said, and added, "It’s back to the situation where it’s like tariffs don’t exist. American customers are not thinking of [buying from] other places." However, some clients do have to pay an additional cost to have their goods made and shipped out before the holiday, the Guangdong-based manufacturer said.
Citing data from the China Beige Book that tracks economic data, the report added that factories saw orders, production, and earnings jump ahead of the New Year holidays. The firm estimates that in January 2026, China's industrial output jumped in comparison to a year ago, with both domestic and international orders "accelerating sharply on-year and on-month.”
Chinese port handled 40% more containers in the week ending 1 February
Major Chinese ports handled 40% more shipping containers in the week ending 1 February compared to the same time last year, marking the fastest year-on-year growth in more than a year and well above the average weekly growth of about 10% in 2025, the report said, citing HSBC Bank analysts.
In Ningbo, which is China's most crucial maritime hub, terminals operated "beyond capacity, with individual vessels overbooked by more than 20%, and container gate-in has been suspended," said Jay Guo, dean at Ningbo China Institute for Supply Chain Innovation.
Freight prices hike
According to the report, freight prices have risen due to a surge in activity, driven by pre-holiday front-loading. According to HSBC’s freight monitor report released on Monday, the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index, which tracks shipping costs for containers leaving Shanghai for major global markets, stood between 1,400 and 1,656 in early January. This compares with its 15-year historical average range of roughly 1,337 to 1,568.
HSBC’s freight report indicated that shipments of large containers to the US remained higher than the corresponding period in both 2024 and 2025 through most of January and continuing into February.
Have tariff tensions ebbed?
Chinese companies are now moving forward to develop new products as tariff tensions between Beijing and Washington seem to have ebbed. In October 2025, after Trump met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, Beijing secured a one-year truce that kept tariffs on Chinese goods to the US at a lower level.
However, for most of 2025, China ramped up its exports to alternative markets in Southeast Asia and Europe, while reducing its direct shipments to America.
Manufacturers also believe that American customers' interest in new products has recovered significantly, with things becoming stable since the tariffs were first announced.
After meeting Jinping in South Korea's Busan in October 2025, Trump slashed tariffs on China to 47% from the previously announced 57% in exchange for Beijing pledging to restrict the flow of fentanyl base chemicals to the US.
English (US) ·