Global trade is once again in turmoil, with the latest wave of US tariff policy changes continuing to hit global supply chains — with importers among the first to hit.

Although these tariffs were initially politically motivated, their impact on global logistics and international procurement is clear and far-reaching. VespuciMariTime CEO and Partner Lars Jensen explains in detail how the tariff storm is disrupting the entire industry in a column in Journalof Commerce.

⚠️ Triple Impact: The Deadly Uncertainty of Current Tariff Policy

The current tariff issue is not just a number, it's a gamePsychological Expectation, Recruitment Rate, and Policy Instability IntersectThe storm. Here are the real impacts these factors have on the logistics industry:

1. Expected effect of early delivery
   Even though President Trump has not formally taken office, some importers have begun shipping early to avoid possible tariff measures on the way. At the same time, a possible dock strike on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico has caused US warehouse space to tighten rapidly, and further worries about demand in the second half of the year.
2. Heavy Tariff Burden
   A 125% tariff on Chinese goods and 10% in other countries is estimated to increase spending by about $5,000 per American household per year. The decline in consumer spending will drag down the entire supply chain, impacting import volumes and logistics needs.
3. Unsettled policy swings, intensifying uncertainty
   In early April, new tariffs on Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and other countries were suspended for 12 hours. Mexico and Canada were also subject to the lifting of 25% tariffs within three days, and then back on the road 30 days later.

Policies change like flipping books, leaving businesses without having to make the right medium-term layout.

📉 Very high cost of uncertainty in the long term

Global manufacturing and procurement layouts take months or even years to complete, but when tariff decisions areFrequent flipping within a few daysAND COMPANIES CAN ONLY DO IT IN A FIGHT.Short-term resilience strategy。

For example, businesses cannot determine whether they should invest in U.S. domestic manufacturing because they cannot ensure that the tax burden is stable. Importers were also hesitant to move to other Southeast Asian countries for fear of retaliatory tariffs overnight.

🧭 Tariffs ≠ manufacturing backflow

Although the policy aims to boost U.S. domestic production, it turns out that tariffs do not really promote the rebound, but simply shift production to other countries with lower costs, such as Mexico and Southeast Asia. But even so, many products still depend on Asian supply chains, and Asia still plays a key role in global trade.

🚛 The real impact on the logistics industry

Under the eyes,THE LOGISTICS INDUSTRY IS IN AN UNACCEPTABLE PLACE。 Unstable policies discourage businesses from investing boldly, innovating, and optimizing supply chains. Short-term flexibility is critical to survival, but this pattern is undoubtedly a huge pressure for an industry that is focused on stability and long-term planning.

conclusions
The logistics industry is not just about shipping goods, it's about managing risk. The current risk no longer comes from market volatility, but from uncertainty in political decisions.

If we want a truly stable, competitive supply chain, industry and government must rethink current strategies. Otherwise, global trade will continue to be mired in countervailing operations and unable to move forward.

Data Source:

https://www.joc.com/article/on-again-off-again-tariffs-will-disrupt-decision-making-for-importers-5982159