Major U.S. ports are expecting a summer surge in imports as retailers capitalize on the 90-day reduction of China-based tariffs, according to the Global Port Tracker published Tuesday by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.
After months of inventory frontloading as a tariff mitigation tactic, shippers began to halt ocean shipments from China in April to limit their exposure to heightened duties. Freightos reported at the time that reciprocal tariff pressures spurred China-to-U.S. freight to drop up to 50%.
In late May, the reduction in China-based tariffs pushed shippers to resume frontloading efforts to import cargo during the 90-day reprieve, prompting an uptick in Transpacific bookings.
“Retailers had paused their purchases and imports previously because of the significantly high tariffs,” NRF VP for Supply Chain and Customs Policy Jonathan Gold said in Tuesday’s report. “They are now looking to get those orders and cargo moving in order to bring as much merchandise into the country as they can before the reciprocal tariff and additional China tariff pauses end in July and August.”
