Trade News

Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping company, says business is booming this week as shipping demand between China and the U.S. takes off again.

“The last couple of days we see a huge surge of volume and now we need to see how long that lasts,” CEO Rolf Habben Jansen told Bloomberg Television on Wednesday.

Jansen said that bookings between China and the U.S. have been up more than 50% in recent weeks. He called it a “pretty significant” increase and said other global trade lanes remain steady for now.

The boost follows a newly announced 90-day truce between the U.S. and China. On Monday, the U.S. dropped tariffs on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, and China cut its retaliatory duties from 125% to 10%. Trade between the two countries had nearly stopped since early April, when the tariffs went into effect.

While the demand is promising, Jansen said there’s still a lot of uncertainty. “I still remain cautiously optimistic that we…

The recent U.S.-China agreement to pause tariff hikes and temporarily roll back some duties is being met with cautious optimism across the global supply chain. Reactions have come from shipping firms, industry groups, and financial analysts, all pointing to the same thing: relief in the short term, but questions about what happens after the 90-day window.

“This is a step in the right direction,” Maersk said in a statement, adding that it hopes the agreement leads to “a more stable and predictable environment for customers.”

Shipping Carriers Welcome the Reprieve

CMA CGM also praised the agreement. “This truce shows that dialogue is still possible between the two largest economies in the world,” the company said. “This is good news for global trade and for shipping.”

Hapag-Lloyd echoed that sentiment, telling Reuters it expects an uptick in container bookings on trans-Pacific lanes, especially ahead of peak season.

Retailers, Brands See Temporary Reli…

The United States and China have agreed to roll back some of the steep tariffs they placed on each other’s goods, giving both sides 90 days to cool tensions and continue negotiations.

Under the deal, U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports will drop from 145% to 30%, while China will cut its own tariffs on American goods from 125% to 10%. The change takes effect Wednesday and follows a weekend of intense talks in Geneva between trade officials from both countries.

President Donald Trump’s 20% fentanyl-related tariff will stay in place, but most of the broader trade war measures will be temporarily relaxed.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said both sides wanted to get back to doing business.

“The consensus from both delegations is neither side wants to be decoupled, and what have occurred with these very high tariffs…was an equivalent of an embargo, and neither side wants that. We do want trade. We want more balance in trade,” Bessent said.

The agr…

Netstock has released a new report showing how small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are reacting to rising tariffs—and what they can do about it. The Tariff Impact Report 2025: 5 Proactive Strategies for SMBs is based on a survey of over 120 American companies and offers advice for staying prepared in a fast-changing trade environment.

The findings show that most SMBs are still behind in using data and new tools to manage tariffs. Only 12% are using analytics to guide their cross-border decisions, even as cost increases hit many parts of their supply chains.

“The Tariff Impact Report emphasizes the critical need for SMBs to embrace inventory management solutions—made smarter by AI and powered by real-time analytics,” said Ara Ohanian, CEO of Netstock. “In today’s unpredictable tariff environment, these tools are not just for optimization—they are fundamental for survival. Relying on excel-based quarterly planning isn’t enough in this volatile landscape. SMBs nee…

As tariffs change and supply chains shift, procurement leaders are racing to adapt. In this Q&A, Dharani (DJ) Jeyaprakasam, Principal Solutions Architect at ORO Labs, shares how procurement orchestration can help companies streamline supplier onboarding, manage risk, and stay compliant as they navigate an increasingly volatile trade environment.

Supply Chain 24/7: What are you hearing from procurement leaders about these on-again, off-again tariffs?

Dharani Jeyaprakasam: Procurement leaders are increasingly frustrated by the pace and unpredictability of tariff shifts. These changes are often announced with little warning, and many teams still rely on fragmented systems and manual workarounds to respond, leading to slow reactions, inefficient decisions, and missed sourcing opportunities.

According to a recent Hackett Group report, 100% of organizations are actively monitoring cost models and scenario plans to stay ahead o…

In an era where tariffs are disrupting global trade and business with little notice, enterprises are under pressure to stay agile and prepared - ready to pivot quickly, make informed decisions, and protect their supply chains from unforeseen cost increases.

Take Control of Tariff Disruptions with GEP SMART - AI-Powered Source-to-Pay Platform

In a world where tariffs are increasingly unpredictable, GEP SMART offers your procurement teams the agility, visibility, and control they need to navigate tariff challenges. By enabling real-time decision-making, fostering supplier collaboration, and ensuring full compliance with evolving trade regulations, GEP SMART empowers businesses to maintain cost control and supply chain resilience. Download the whitepaper to see 12 examples of how GEP SMART can help manage tariff uncertainty.

French government officials are pushing to add a small handling fee to low-cost items bought online from outside the European Union. The move is aimed at curbing the surge of packages arriving from companies like Temu and Shein, which are mostly shipped from China. The proposal, announced during a visit to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport on April 29, would apply to all non-EU countries, including the UK and the U.S., and could take effect as early as 2026.

Currently, small packages worth under €150 (USD 161) are exempt from customs duties in the EU, although VAT still applies. But with 4.6 billion such packages entering the EU last year — 91% from China and 800 million going to France — French officials say the system is being overwhelmed.

“This isn't a tax on consumers — it's to make these platforms contribute more to checks we must do for security,” said Budget Minister Amélie de Montchalin. She added the fee would help fund safety and environmental chec…

​Distributors across the U.S. are sounding the alarm as new tariffs and potential tax hikes threaten to squeeze already tight margins and disrupt supply chains. A recent survey by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) and Modern Distribution Management (MDM) reveals that many in the industry are bracing for large cost increases and operational challenges in 2025.​

“The survey indicates that one-third of distributors are already facing price hikes of 25% or more. Though these increases haven’t hit store shelves yet, it’s an indication of where prices are headed,” said Eric Hoplin, CEO of NAW. “We urge President Trump to secure trade agreements quickly to restore certainty, help businesses plan, and ease supply chain pressures.”​

Key Findings

Rising Costs: 62% of distributors expect their cost of goods sold to increase by 10% or more in 2025.​

Financial Strain: 67% report that tariffs have hurt their businesses, while only 2.5% have exp…

Nearly half of supply chain leaders say they plan to pass new tariff costs directly to customers, according to a new Gartner survey. The second most popular strategy? Making changes within their supply chains. The survey polled 126 supply chain leaders between March 17 and April 7, with most respondents coming from companies that earn over $1 billion a year.

“Supply chain leaders have many potential levers to pull from in mitigating new costs related to tariffs,” said Vicky Forman, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner. “While supply chain leaders have multiple initiatives underway to potentially lessen the impacts, many of these actions have yet to be completed.”

Increased costs were the top concern for 92% of those surveyed. But leaders are also worried about losing customers. Three out of four listed declining demand as a major risk, whether from U.S. consumers or international buyers reacting to possible retaliation.

Beyond raising prices, compa…

As more companies turn to AI to streamline the food supply chain, new security risks are emerging, especially as systems scale and connect across more partners, warehouses, and delivery networks. We spoke with James White, CTO and Founding Engineer at CalypsoAI, about the growing threat landscape, how AI can be used to secure itself, and what food and grocery companies need to know before deploying AI tools in critical operations.

Supply Chain 24/7: Why is the food supply chain becoming more vulnerable to cyberattacks as more companies adopt AI?

James White: AI is being adopted at multiple points on the food supply chain, and each of these adoption points can lead to accidental or unintentional mishaps. Understanding the technical details of how these mishaps occur is where bad actors often begin their cyberattacks. For example, if vision AI is being used to automatically read labels on packing slips to auto-route food to a specific location, attacking the…

The World Shipping Council is pushing back against a new fee regime announced by the U.S. Trade Representative, warning it could disrupt global trade and increase prices for American businesses and consumers.

In a statement released April 18, the World Shipping Council (WSC) raised concerns about the USTR's newly announced port fees, calling them “a step in the wrong direction.”

“Revitalizing America’s maritime sector is an important and widely shared goal,” said Joe Kramek, President and CEO of WSC. “Unfortunately, the fee regime announced by USTR will raise prices for consumers, weaken U.S. trade, and do little to revitalize the U.S. maritime industry.”

The WSC said the fees are problematic for several reasons. First, the policy applies retroactively to ships already in transit, adding costs without benefiting U.S. shipbuilders. Second, the fees are based on ship size (Net Tonnage), which the group says unfairly penalizes larger, more efficient vessels…

Roche is making a massive bet on the United States.

The Swiss pharmaceutical company announced that it will invest $50 billion across the United States over the next five years. The move comes as drugmakers around the world brace for possible new tariffs from the Trump administration, which recently launched a “national security” investigation into pharmaceutical imports.

Roche said the investment will create more than 12,000 jobs, including nearly 6,500 construction roles, and boost U.S. manufacturing, research, and distribution operations. The company plans to expand its existing sites in Kentucky, Indiana, New Jersey, Oregon, and California, while building new factories for gene therapy and glucose monitoring, as well as a research center in Massachusetts focused on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

“We are proud of our 110-year legacy in the United States which has been a key driver for jobs, innovation and the creation of intellectual property,…