U.S. importers stocked up on Chinese goods ahead of tariffs, says shipper Maersk

Top U.S. importers stocked up heavily on Chinese goods in the fourth quarter before new import tariffs - part of an ongoing Sino-U.S. trade war - would take effect, the head of shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk said on Thursday.

"It was very clear that U.S. imports from China rose significantly in the fourth quarter, while exports to China fell," Maersk Chief Executive Soren Skou said in an interview.

(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen Editing by Alexandra Hudson)