The extremely high tariffs between the USA and China are not going unnoticed. In the USA, a slight increase in import trade via the large port in Los Angeles was initially noted, according to port chief Gene Seroka. This can be seen as a sign that importers are taking the opportunity to fill their warehouses before the tariffs come into effect.
But as early as May, we will likely see a volume decline, says Seroka, mentioning that it could be as large as over 10 percent.
The port has already registered a 15 percent drop in loaded export goods from the USA, including American agricultural products that China is a major importer of.
When it comes to imports, around 40 percent of all imports arriving via the large port in Los Angeles originate from China.
Much of American China imports concern electronics, toys, clothing, and more, although some products were exempted on Saturday, such as smartphones and certain electronics.
However, e-commerce giant Amazon, for example, has withdrawn large quantities of placed orders from China. Bookings of containers worldwide have plummeted by 49 percent during the period of 1-8 April compared to the previous week, according to analysis firm Vizion.
As of Saturday, China now has a 125 percent import tariff on American goods, a response to the USA's import tariffs of 145 percent.
