OpinionThinking About China

Shipping News Gives Insight Into the Impact of Tariffs on China

After a surge in American buying in China to beat the tariffs before they took effect, the shipping news in April and May reveals the significant downside.
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Shipping News Gives Insight Into the Impact of Tariffs on China
A China Shipping cargo container sits stacked at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, Calif., on April 10, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images
Milton Ezrati
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Commentary

President Donald Trump’s tariffs were so well-advertised that their initial effect was the opposite of what was intended. Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2024, U.S. importers tried to get ahead of the tariffs, ordering heavily in China to secure an inexpensive inventory before costs rose with the tariffs. Imports of China-made goods surged.

Milton Ezrati
Milton Ezrati
Author
Milton Ezrati is a contributing editor at The National Interest, an affiliate of the Center for the Study of Human Capital at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), and chief economist for Vested, a New York-based communications firm. Before joining Vested, he served as chief market strategist and economist for Lord, Abbett & Co. He also writes frequently for City Journal and blogs regularly for Forbes. His latest book is "Thirty Tomorrows: The Next Three Decades of Globalization, Demographics, and How We Will Live."