First Ships of Chinese Goods Tariffed 145% Arrives in US Ports

American consumers are about to face tough choices because of the trade war started by President Donald Trump.

Cargo ship anchored at a port in Los Angeles, California, USA. Photo: THX/TTXVN

According to CNN on May 6, ships departing from China and currently docking in US ports are the first to be subject to the 145% tax that the US has imposed on most imports from China.

This means that in just a few weeks, American consumers will face higher prices and shortages of some goods.

Imports from China have fallen sharply since Mr Trump imposed high tariffs on Chinese goods.

“This week, imports are down about 35% compared to last year, and the ships arriving are the first to be hit by the new tariffs imposed on China and other regions last month, which is why volumes are so low,” said Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.

Ships currently in U.S. ports have seen a drop of more than 50 percent in Chinese imports, according to Seroka. Many importers have canceled previous orders because U.S. companies don’t want to pay the high tariffs, which could more than double the price of Chinese goods.

The US port of Los Angeles was scheduled to receive 80 ships in May, but 20% of them have been canceled. Customers have also canceled 13 more ships scheduled to call in June.

Instead of importing goods into the U.S., some retailers are paying to store goods in warehouses in China because it is much cheaper than paying tariffs, said Ryan Petersen, CEO of Flexport, a logistics and freight brokerage firm. Because importers and retailers are reluctant to shoulder such high costs, import volumes could fall further, by as much as 60%. Consumers will soon feel the impact.

The National Retail Federation predicts that imports into the US in the second half of 2025 will fall by at least 20% compared to the same period in 2024. For goods from China, the decline is even more severe: JP Morgan predicts a decline of 75% to 80%.

Meanwhile, Americans continue to buy goods that have been stored in the US, but those reserves are also running out.

“If this situation continues for a few more weeks, retailers will sell through their inventory and by summer we will see empty shelves,” Mr. Petersen predicted.

A trend of US businesses stockpiling goods pushed the trade deficit in March beyond forecasts, reaching a record $140.5 billion, as companies rushed to import raw materials, supplies and consumer goods before most of Mr. Trump’s tariffs took effect.

Although the new round of tariffs was imposed in April, economists expect imports to continue to rise in the coming weeks as the last shipments loaded before Mr. Trump announced the tariffs on April 2 arrive at U.S. ports.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nhung-chuyen-tau-dau-tien-cho-hang-hoa-trung-quoc-bi-ap-thue-145-cap-cang-my-701454.html