Maersk: New U.S. Tariffs and Red Sea Crisis Shaping Global Maritime Trade in Early 2025

Major geopolitical events and policy changes are significantly impacting global maritime trade in early 2025, with new U.S. tariffs and ongoing Red Sea security concerns creating ripple effects across shipping routes, according to Maersk’s North America market update for January.

The Trump Administration announced sweeping tariffs on February 1, 2025, targeting imports from China, Canada, and Mexico under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. While the 10% tariff on Chinese goods took immediate effect on February 4, tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports face a one-month delay.

Meanwhile, despite a January 15 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that brought hope for regional stability, Maersk…