Tariffs imposed on imports to the U.S. by the Trump administration have brought considerable uncertainty to global business operations and logistics, although China continues to be the most important market for global container shipping, according to Maximilian Rothkopf, Chief Operating Officer of German international container shipping giant Hapag-Lloyd AG. Since the new U.S. administration took office, the negative impact of its tariff measures has exceeded market fears, creating challenges for the U.S. and the global economy. "We just released our Q1 financial report, and the year started off well. However, there are simply too many uncertainties this year - tariff policies, geopolitical tensions — all of these have major impacts on our industry and the global economy as a whole. The level of uncertainty has clearly increased," said Rothkopf. In 2024, Hapag-Lloyd signed supply contracts for 24 container vessels with two Chinese shipyards, based on a comprehensive assessment of quality, design, and cost, Rothkopf said. He said that despite mounting international uncertainties, China remains the most important market in the global shipping sector. "Last year, we placed 24 new vessel orders with two Chinese shipyards. We are very pleased with their quality, design, and availability. In recent weeks, we've all seen a sharp decline followed by a notable rebound in trans-Pacific shipping demand to the U.S. At the same time, we also witnessed that the shipping demand from China to Europe, Latin America, Africa, and other major global markets remains strong. China continues to serve as the most crucial market for international container shipping," Rothkopf said. The video shows: Hamburg, Germany - Recent 1. Various of sign of Hapag-Lloyd AG headquarters 2. SOUNDBITE (German) Maximilian Rothkopf, Chief Operating Officer, Hapag-Lloyd AG: "We just released our Q1 financial report, and the year started off well. However, there are simply too many uncertainties this year - tariff policies, geopolitical tensions — all of these have major impacts on our industry and the global economy as a whole. The level of uncertainty has clearly increased." 3. Various of cityscape, Port of Hamburg, vessels 4. SOUNDBITE (German) Maximilian Rothkopf, Chief Operating Officer, Hapag-Lloyd AG (ending with shot 5): "Last year, we placed 24 new vessel orders with two Chinese shipyards. We are very pleased with their quality, design, and availability. In recent weeks, we've all seen a sharp decline followed by a notable rebound in trans-Pacific shipping demand to the U.S. At the same time, we also witnessed that the shipping demand from China to Europe, Latin America, Africa, and other major global markets remains strong. China continues to serve as the most crucial market for international container shipping." 5. Various of Port of Hamburg, vessels [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]