Latest developments: On April 2, the Trump administration officially implemented the “comprehensive reciprocal tariff” policy, imposing a 10% base tariff on almost all goods exported to the United States, and levying additional tariffs on trading partners such as China, the European Union, and ASEAN (China’s highest is 104%, and ASEAN’s average is 33%)18. This policy has caused shocks in the global trade system, and foreign trade companies are facing severe challenges!

Core impact:

1️⃣ Industry differentiation has intensified:

Hit areas: Electronics, textiles and clothing, photovoltaics and new energy vehicle exports are the first to bear the brunt! The United States is China’s largest textile export market, and the risk of order loss for small and medium-sized enterprises has increased; Southeast Asia’s re-export trade channels have been blocked, and corporate profit margins have been further compressed127.

Dramatic changes in cross-border e-commerce: Starting from May 2, China’s tax-free policy for small packages exported to the United States has ended. Platforms such as Shein and Temu are facing a surge in customs clearance costs, or are forced to turn to overseas warehouses to stock up or raise prices26.

2️⃣ Supply chain pressure increases sharply:

Companies that rely on the US market need to face rising costs (such as raw materials and logistics costs), and some orders have been canceled or transferred to non-US markets17.

Southeast Asian factory-building companies have suffered a “second blow”, with tax rates in Vietnam and Cambodia as high as 46%-49%, and traditional re-export routes have failed12.

Countermeasures:
✅ Market diversification: Accelerate the development of non-US markets such as the EU, the Middle East, and Africa to reduce single dependence! Although ASEAN has high tax rates, there is still potential for demand in emerging markets15.
✅ Supply chain adjustment: Optimize the layout of overseas warehouses, explore factories in Mexico, Latin America and other regions, and avoid tariff barriers27.
✅ Policy dividends: The National Development and Reform Commission has launched corporate assistance and studied precise measures such as tax exemption and subsidies; a “green channel” of the domestic demand market helps digest inventory, and export-to-domestic sales has become a new direction14.

Future outlook:
Short-term pain is inevitable, mas no longo prazo, tariffs force industrial upgrading! Semiconductors, high-end manufacturing, and independent controllable fields may usher in structural opportunities45. As the global supply chain is reshaped, flexibility and resilience will be the key to companies’ breakthrough!

#Foreign Trade Dynamics #Tariff Impact #Supply Chain Change #Market Diversification