Recent claims circulating on social media have painted a bleak picture of U.S. port activity, suggesting that ports like Seattle have turned into “ghost towns” and that cargo ships from China have completely stopped arriving. One viral post by Houston Wade claimed that not a single international cargo ship was docked in Seattle, and that the last shipments from China to both coasts were arriving by early May. It didn’t take long for these claims to go viral, with people citing ship-tracking apps and posting ominous screenshots of seemingly empty ports.
But are these claims true? According to Sal Mercogliano, maritime historian, former merchant mariner, and host of the What’s Going on With Shipping? channel, the answer is far more complex and rooted in actual data, not speculation.
Sal Mercogliano Breaks It Down
Sal Mercogliano took a deep dive into these rumors in a recent video. Mercogliano immediately confronted the viral claims, pointing out that snapshots from vessel-tracking apps like VesselFinder and MarineTraffic can easily mislead the public. Without context or understanding of maritime operations, a quiet-looking screen might seem alarming, but it doesn’t reflect the full story.
Mercogliano emphasized that many vessels operate below the radar of casual observers. For instance, some container ships travel below deck, out of visual range from shore or online tools. Just because a ship doesn’t look heavily loaded or isn’t visible on a map doesn’t mean trade has ground to a halt.
Ship Tracking Apps: Useful but Misleading
A key point Mercogliano drove home was that ship-tracking apps like MarineTraffic or VesselFinder are not always beginner-friendly. He explained that these tools require interpretation, green icons indicate cargo ships, red for tankers, and yellow for others, but without filtering or zooming in properly, users can jump to the wrong conclusions.
To prove the point, Mercogliano filtered global maritime traffic to show all container ships currently en route to the United States. As of the recording, numerous ships were visible crossing the Pacific from China and Southeast Asia to American ports. “Ships are coming in,” he said plainly. “They’re just not as full, and they’re fewer in number.”
Debunking the “No More Ships from China” Narrative
Addressing Wade’s claim that no ships would arrive from China after April 29 (West Coast) or May 10 (East Coast), Mercogliano provided hard evidence to the contrary. He presented an image of a U.S.-flagged container ship, part of APL’s fleet, that had departed Shanghai just two days earlier – clearly bound for the United States.
While acknowledging that the ship was lightly loaded compared to pre-pandemic standards, Mercogliano emphasized that it still carried containers both above and below deck. “There is still cargo moving,” he said. “Just not at the levels we were used to during the shipping boom.”
Seattle Is Not a Ghost Town
Focusing on Seattle specifically, Mercogliano turned to data from the Northwest Seaport Alliance. As of the report, four ships were on berth in Seattle and Tacoma, eight had departed in the past week, and 28 more were scheduled to arrive over the next seven days. Terminals 18 and 5 were active, with vessels such as the APL Yang Shan and the MSC Julie in port.
Mercogliano encouraged viewers to check public dashboards offered by port authorities. “If you really want to know what’s going on,” he said, “go to the source.”
The Power of Port Dashboards
One of the most transparent and user-friendly sources is the Port of Los Angeles. Mercogliano praised its Cargo Operations Dashboard as the best in the country, offering real-time stats on ships, containers, dwell times, and upcoming port calls. These dashboards give a much clearer view of the health of U.S. shipping than anecdotal social media posts.
At the time of Mercogliano’s report, the Port of LA had seven vessels at berth, 83 more planned, and over 181,000 containers scheduled to arrive. While that’s a dip from last year, it’s far from the collapse being reported.
Shipping Volume Is Down – But Not Gone
That said, Sal didn’t deny that shipping volumes have declined. In fact, the number of blank sailings, scheduled voyages that were canceled, is currently around 10%. More importantly, vessels that do sail are often coming in “light,” carrying fewer containers than usual.
There’s a reason for that: tariff season. Mercogliano noted that goods loaded on ships after April 9 could face steep new tariffs – up to 145% for Chinese imports. This has had an immediate cooling effect on shipments, leading some manufacturers to front-load cargo earlier in the year to avoid those penalties.
Chinese Imports Still Dominate U.S. Ports
Despite the decline, China remains the dominant source of imported goods for the U.S. According to data shared by Mercogliano and economist Jason Miller, Los Angeles receives 51% of its containerized imports from China, Long Beach 61%, Tacoma 47%, and Seattle 36%. Even on the East Coast and Gulf Coast, Chinese imports account for nearly a quarter to a third of all inbound goods at ports like Savannah, Newark, and Houston.
This underscores an important point: any short-term dip does not equate to a permanent shutdown.
Mercogliano Urges Caution: Don’t Believe the Panic
As someone deeply embedded in the maritime world, Mercogliano cautioned against trusting viral posts without verifying the facts. “Sometimes people are misinterpreting the data,” he said. “I’m not saying they’re doing it for clicks, but these rumors tend to spread fast.”
He encouraged viewers to rely on official sources and experts who engage directly with port officials and maritime operators, like Port of LA Director Gene Seroka, who regularly provides updates.
Context Matters: The Post-Pandemic Decline
It’s also worth remembering that the post-pandemic shipping environment is vastly different. The early COVID years saw a massive boom in shipping demand due to stimulus-fueled online shopping. Today, that boom has settled back to more “normal” levels. What might seem like a collapse is actually a return to equilibrium.
Mercogliano pointed out that Q1 of 2025 actually saw higher port volumes than the same time last year, mainly due to early shipments beating tariff deadlines. The recent dip is notable, but it fits a predictable seasonal and economic pattern.
U.S. Ports Are Not Ghost Towns
In summary, while there is a measurable decline in shipping activity due to tariffs, economic headwinds, and evolving trade patterns, the idea that U.S. ports are completely empty or “dead” is flatly untrue. Ships are still arriving, ports are still operating, and cargo is still flowing.
Sal Mercogliano’s advice is simple: go to the source. Use port dashboards, consult expert analysis, and be wary of alarmist posts that offer no data. If there’s one takeaway from his video, it’s this, context and facts matter far more than viral snapshots.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.