Asia to West Coast North America container trade slowed after a brisk start to the year and won’t repeat the early-year pace now that the US and China trade war is in force.

Although a cloud hangs over the Transpacific in the form of a trade war between China and the US, at ground level growth in the eastbound container trade is performing relatively well. After a lacklustre final quarter last year, the first three months of 2018 saw headhaul volumes race ahead by almost 10% before some of the wind was taken from the sails in April and May.