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Sunday, December 21, 2025

Tariffs News

10 Dec 2025

US Has Other Options if Supreme Court Rules Against Tariffs

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The United States can use other measures to recreate the roughly $200 billion in revenues it is collecting under tariffs based on a 1977 law if the Supreme Court strikes down use of that law, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday.Greer, speaking at an event hosted by the Atlantic Council, said it would make sense for Congress to legislate new rules for U.S. trade in the longer term.He declined to provide any details on the Trump administration's backup plan…

08 Dec 2025

China Trade Surplus Tops $1 Trillion on Non-US Growth

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China's trade surplus topped $1 trillion for the first time as manufacturers seeking to avoid President Donald Trump's tariffs shipped more to non-U.S. markets in November, with exports to Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia surging.Shipments to the United States dropped by close to one-third from the same month a year before."The tariff cuts agreed under the U.S.-China trade truce didn't help to lift shipments to the U.S. last month, but overall export growth rebounded nonetheless," said Zichun Huang, China economist at Capital Economics.

17 Nov 2025

ICS Convenes Global Leaders to Address Geopolitical, Trade Challenges

© International Chamber of Shipping

In this moment of heightened trade tensions, the International Chamber of Shipping co-hosted a second Global Maritime Trade Summit in Hong Kong to explore geopolitics and trade realignment, building resilient supply chains, and financing a dynamic and robust maritime economy. The summit was co-hosted by the Transport and Logistics Bureau of the Government of Hong Kong, SAR and the Hong Kong Shipowners Association.The theme of this year’s summit was Building Resilience, Driving Growth and Investment.“The maritime industry is at a pivotal moment.

10 Nov 2025

October U.S. Container Imports Flatten

Source: Descartes

Descartes Systems Group has released its November Global Shipping Report highlighting that U.S. container imports were essentially flat in October as year-to-date volumes continue to decrease.The 2,306,687 TEU of imports was down a slight 0.1% from September and 7.5% lower than October 2024. After volume declines in August and September, imports from China were up 5.4% over September but down 16.3% year-over-year.Compared to September, port transit time delays increased modestly in October across most top U.S.

05 Nov 2025

Matson Paid $6.4 million in Port Fees to China

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U.S. ocean shipping company Matson MATX.N has paid $6.4 million in port fees to China since they were implemented on October 14, CEO Matt Cox said on Tuesday.President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping last week agreed to put those tit-for-tat levies on pause for 12 months, starting on November 10. Media outlets in China had reported that Hawaii-based Matson, one of a handful of global shipping firms with U.S.-built and -flagged vessels, was the first to pay the fees in China.Matson expects the U.S.

27 Oct 2025

US Importers Place Spring Orders Early Amidst Tariffs Anxiety

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Small importers for large U.S. retailers rushed in China-made strollers and wares meant for spring and are storing the goods in their own warehouses to avoid the big tariff bills that had been threatened over the next month.Before Sino-American talks on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur eliminated the threat of U.S. President Donald Trump's 100% tariffs on Chinese imports starting November 1, importers were expecting to shoulder the staggering levies.In response…

20 Oct 2025

September U.S. Container Imports Contract Amid Tariff Uncertainty

© Descartes Systems Group

Descartes has released its September Global Shipping Report, which analyzes the latest economic and logistics trends shaping U.S. imports and global trade.According to data from Descartes’ global trade intelligence platform, Descartes Datamyne:U.S. container imports declined 8.4% from August, reaching over 2.3M TEUs in September – representing the third-highest September on record. Its volumes are 1.9% ahead of the same period in 2024, demonstrating resilience in demand despite trade uncertainty.Imports from China fell 12.3% month-over-month and 22.9% year-over-year.

17 Oct 2025

Chinese Sanctions on Hanwha Put $150B South Korea-US Shipbuilding Plan at Risk

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China's sanctions on U.S.-linked units of shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean threaten to impact ambitious plans for shipbuilding cooperation between Seoul and Washington by disrupting supplies of Chinese equipment and materials, officials in Seoul said on Friday.Beijing announced the sanctions on Tuesday as the U.S. and China began charging additional port fees on each other's vessels, in the latest exchange in a protracted trade war ahead of a planned meeting of the two countries' leaders.South…

15 Oct 2025

China’s Move Against Hanwha Units Seen as Warning, No Immediate Impact

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China's sanctions against five U.S.-linked affiliates of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean are seen as a warning gesture without immediate impact, and Beijing is unlikely to gain much by expanding them, analysts said on Wednesday.The move, announced on Tuesday when the U.S. and China began charging additional port fees targeting each other's vessels, comes ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in late October to resolve…

14 Oct 2025

IMF Warns of a "Disorderly" Global Market Correction Amidst Geopolitical Tensions

Global markets are getting too comfortable with risks like trade wars, geopolitical tensions and yawning government deficits, which, combined with already overpriced assets, increase the chance of a "disorderly" market correction, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.Underscoring the IMF's warning, President Donald Trump's revived threats on Friday to hike tariffs on China stoked investor fears of a major asset price correction. The comments sparked a sell-off in U.S.

14 Oct 2025

China Sanctions Five US-Linked Units of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean

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China announced sanctions on Tuesday against five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean amid trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, sending the company's shares sharply lower.The move, announced by the Chinese commerce ministry, comes on the day that China and the U.S. implement additional port fees targeting each others' vessels, although China has exempted ships it built.Organisations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in any transactions…

13 Oct 2025

US Tweaks Foreign-Built Ships Fees, Raises Tariffs on Chinese Equipment

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The United States Trade Representative's office said on Friday it would modify certain maritime-related fees for foreign-built vehicle carriers and liquefied natural gas vessels ahead of port fees on China-linked ships slated to go into effect next week.USTR said in a statement that fees on operators of foreign-built vehicle carriers would be $46 per net ton, effective on October 14. That is below a fee of $150 per net ton originally proposed in April, seen by the industry as prohibitive…

12 Oct 2025

USTR and China Yet to Discuss New Export Controls by Phone

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Trade Representative Jamison Greer said on Sunday that the U.S. reached out to China for a phone call following an announcement that it was expanding its rare earths export controls but Beijing deferred, while China accused the U.S. of what it called "double standards.""I can tell you that we were not notified, and quickly, as soon as we found out from public sources, we reached out to the Chinese to have a phone call, and they deferred," Greer told Fox News' "Sunday Briefing," while calling China's move "a power grab."U.S.

07 Oct 2025

World Bank Warns Higher Tariffs on India Will Slow South Asia Growth Next Year

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The World Bank said on Tuesday higher tariffs on Indian goods exported to the U.S. would be a drag on South Asia's economic growth rate in 2026, even as it remains shielded in the current year by government spending.The World Bank said growth in South Asia was expected to slow sharply to 5.8% in 2026 from its projection of 6.6% for 2025. Its forecast for the region comprises India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives."For 2026, the forecast has been downgraded…

24 Sep 2025

Shipping Industry Faces Volatility from Tariffs and Geopolitical Conflicts

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The shipping industry is experiencing major volatility amid rising geopolitical tensions and disruptions caused by a wave of new tariffs, according to a report published on Wednesday by the U.N. Trade and Development agency.Due to an increasingly complex and uncertain global trade environment, subdued industrial activity in major economies and weak Chinese demand for bulk commodities, UNCTAD has revised down its maritime trade growth forecast for 2025.It now projects overall maritime trade volume to expand 0.5% annually…

11 Aug 2025

Estimated 55% of Indian Goods Exported to US Will Face Tariffs

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About 55% of India's merchandise exports to the United States will be subject to the tariff imposed by President Donald Trump's administration, the Indian government said on Monday.Last week, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods as punishment for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil. That raised the total duty on Indian exports to the U.S.

07 Aug 2025

Tough Transshipment Penalties Not Expected Immediately Despite US Tariffs

Credit: Adobe Stock/Travel man

Tougher U.S. trade penalties on goods originating in one country being re-shipped from another are not expected to immediately follow new U.S. tariffs, three people in Southeast Asia with knowledge of the matter said, easing a major cause of concern.Southeast Asian countries including Vietnam and Thailand have been explicitly targeted by White House officials for their alleged role in facilitating the so-called transshipment to America of Chinese goods, which would face higher…

11 Aug 2025

India Continues US Trade Talks Despite Tariff Hike to 50%

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India hopes trade talks with the U.S. will continue even as the U.S. hiked tariffs on its exports to 50% due to New Delhi's purchase of sanctioned Russian oil, two lawmakers said on Monday, citing a briefing to a parliamentary panel on foreign affairs.Last week, President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods due to Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil, bringing the total duty on Indian exports to the U.S. to 50% - among the highest of any American trading partner."Our relations with the U.S.

14 Aug 2025

Port of Los Angeles Reports Busiest Month Ever

© Port of Los Angeles

July was the busiest month on record in the 117-year history of the Port of Los Angeles. The Port handled 1,019,837 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs), 8.5% more than last July. Retailers and manufacturers brought in goods at an elevated pace due to concerns of higher tariffs later this year.“Shippers have been frontloading their cargo for months to get ahead of tariffs and recent activity at America’s top port really tells that story,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka.

27 Aug 2025

Doubling of US Tariffs on India Begins Wednesday

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U.S. President Donald Trump's doubling of tariffs on imports from India to as much as 50% took effect as scheduled on Wednesday, dealing a serious blow to ties between the two countries that became strategic partners after the turn of this century.A punitive 25% tariff imposed due to India's purchases of Russian oil adds to Trump's prior 25% tariff on many imports from the South Asian nation and is expected to hurt growth in the world's fastest growing major economy.India's trade ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

27 Aug 2025

Trump Tariffs Reroute Brazilian Beef to Mexico

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Mexico has overtaken the U.S. as the second largest importer of Brazil's beef after the imposition of tariffs by President Donald Trump on August 6 affected shipments from the world's largest exporter, Brazilian beef lobby Abiec said on Wednesday.Brazilian beef, which was already subject to a U.S. import tax of 26.4% outside of an exempt quota, now faces an additional 50% levy.Between August 1-25, Brazil exported 10,200 metric tons of beef to Mexico worth $58.8 million, according to Abiec data. Shipments from Brazil to the U.S.

10 Sep 2025

Number of Transits Through Panama Canal Edged Down in August

Source: Panama Canal Authority

The number of vessels that passed through the Panama Canal edged down slightly to an average of 32.5 ships per day in August compared to the 32.6 per day in the previous month, its authority said in a bulletin released on Wednesday.While traffic through the world's second-busiest inter-oceanic waterway has increased since last year, when it lifted passage restrictions related to a severe drought, it is still not fully allocating the 36 slots per day on offer.The canal is on track…

19 Aug 2025

Tariffs Hit India Shrimp Farmers Hard

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On India's southern coast, V. Srinivas thrived for two decades by farming shrimp, as the country became the top supplier of the delicacy to the United States. Now, Donald Trump's 50% tariff threat is forcing many to consider other ways of making money.Andhra Pradesh state sends the most shrimp from India to the U.S. and farmers there have spent millions of rupees (hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars) over the years to cultivate high-quality shrimp in saline ponds.Now they are being hit hard as Indian exporters have slashed rates they offer farmers by almost 20% after the tariff shock…