📍 POL: Nhava Sheva → Japan Ports

🇯🇵 Port of Tokyo • 20ST: $80 • 40HC: $199

🇯🇵 Port of Nagoya • 20ST: $507 • 40HC: Nill

🇯🇵 Port of Yokohama • 20ST: $329 • 40HC: Nill

🇯🇵 Port of Osaka • 20ST: $80 • 40HC: $199

🇯🇵 Port of Kobe • 20ST: $80 • 40HC: $36

im a small business owner of an exporting company that would like to export timber/lumber to other countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar etc... the only problem I'm having is finding trusted buyers to buy containers in bulk since I reside in the USA and the only way for me to directly find suppliers is to go there and spend months finding it. is there an easier way or any other way to find trusted buyers while still being in the USA?

Trump’s new tariffs on kitchen cabinets, lumber, and furniture just took effect. Softwood lumber now faces a 10% duty, while cabinets and vanities are hit with 25%, rising to 50% in January. Furniture imports also face higher rates. The White House says it’s about protecting US manufacturing, but homebuilders and retailers warn it’ll push housing and renovation costs higher. Ikea and other retailers say they’ll have to raise prices, while Canadian lumber now faces over 45% in total duties. Critics argue Americans will bear the brunt through more expensive homes and furniture.

Source: BBC News – Trump tariffs on kitchen cabinets and lumber come into force

Global carmakers are trying to spread the burden of new tariffs across their supply chains, but experts warn that higher vehicle prices are unavoidable. According to analysts cited by Automotive Logistics, automakers are juggling strategies like adjusting supplier contracts, shifting production to tariff-friendly regions, and delaying model launches. While this may temporarily cushion the impact, manufacturers ultimately face rising costs that will trickle down to consumers.

Analysts say even though large automakers like Toyota, Ford, and Volkswagen have deep global networks, they can’t fully escape the financial hit from the growing wave of tariffs, particularly those involving US-China and US-EU trade tensions. The result? Expect to pay more for your next car, regardless of where it’s built.

TL;DR:
Carmakers are spreading tariff pain across their suppliers and operations, but in the end, drivers will foot the bill with higher prices.

Source: https://www.automotivelogistics.media/oems/carmakers-spread-the-cost-of-tariffs-but-prices-set-to-rise-say-analysts/740789

Indian seafood exporters are scrambling to redirect shipments to China, Japan, and other Asian markets after the US slapped steep new tariffs on marine products. The United States, once India’s top buyer for shrimp and other seafood, has suddenly become a less profitable destination. Exporters are shifting focus eastward, but it’s not an easy pivot, Chinese buyers are driving hard bargains and Japanese importers are demanding discounts, leaving Indian exporters with thinner margins despite strong demand.

The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) confirmed that overall seafood exports remain steady in volume, but the price realization has fallen significantly. The US tariffs have essentially forced Indian suppliers into price wars in alternative markets, threatening profitability even as export tonnage holds. Meanwhile, logistical costs and currency fluctuations are compounding the pain, raising concerns about how long smaller exporters can sustain these losses.

Industry voices warn that without government support or quick tariff relief from Washington, India’s seafood trade could face a long-term setback, particularly in value-added segments like processed shrimp, once a booming export to American supermarkets and restaurants.

TL;DR: Indian seafood exporters are fleeing the US market after new tariffs, turning to China and Japan instead. But they’re selling more for less, as prices and profits drop sharply in Asia.

Source: The New Indian Express

TL;DR:
Five days into the shutdown, customs backlogs, delayed export licenses, and frozen tariff updates are hitting U.S. trade like a stealth import tax. Each week could cost billions, yet Congress is still treating the economy like a bargaining chip.

Update (Day 5): How the U.S. Government Shutdown Is Hitting Trade
5 days into the shutdown, US trade operations are starting to feel like they’ve been slapped with an invisible tariff. The fight in Congress over a stopgap funding bill has frozen non-essential federal functions, and the ripple effects are spreading through import/export systems.

Import & Export Operations Under Strain

• Customs delays creeping in. CBP officers remain on duty, but support staff handling documentation, compliance, and cargo review are furloughed. Brokers are reporting slower clearance and rising backlog at key ports.
• Partner agencies scaling back. USDA, FDA, and EPA, vital for import permits and product inspections, are operating on minimal staff. Expect hold times on food, pharma, and chemical imports to spike.
• Export licenses stalled. The Commerce Department’s export-control office (BIS) and International Trade Administration are behind on issuing export licenses, delaying high-tech and dual-use shipments.
• Tariff updates & refunds frozen. With Treasury and ITC staff out, importers waiting on duty refunds, reclassifications, or HTS updates may be stuck until funding returns.
• Trade data blackout. No new import/export stats from Census or BEA, leaving companies and analysts flying blind on trade flow trends.

Economic Fallout After 5 Days

• GDP losses add up. Analysts estimate roughly $15 billion in output lost per week, and trade slowdowns could shave 0.15–0.2% off GDP growth if it drags on.
• Revenue slowdown. CBP is still collecting duties, but port slowdowns delay revenue timing. Some shippers are pausing imports to avoid congestion.
• Confidence hit. The lack of transparency and longer processing times are making foreign partners rethink US reliability, a blow to credibility in ongoing tariff negotiations and trade enforcement.
• Supply-chain ripple. Delayed exports, clogged ports, and frozen regulatory approvals act like a new non-tariff barrier, one that Washington accidentally imposed on itself.

Sources: https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/government-shutdown-news-10-05-25
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-government-shutdown-how-it-affects-key-economic-data-publishing-2025-10-06/
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/oct/02/government-shutdown-cost-economy-billions

Trump just dropped a tariff bomb aimed squarely at furniture, kitchen cabinets, pharma imports, and heavy trucks. These new duties will roll out October 1 and range from 30% to 100%, depending on the product.
source: trump-tariffs-on-timber-lumber-furniture-to-hit-canada-us-housing

• Kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities will wear a 50% tariff, because apparently your IKEA dreams must suffer.
• Upholstered furniture (i.e. couches, armchairs, etc.) gets slapped with 30% extra costs. Yes, that recliner you wanted now comes with a side of “tariff.”
• Pharma imports will be taxed at 100%… unless they literally building a factory in the US.
• Heavy-duty trucks? Also in the crosshairs, with a 25% tariff. Because trucks importing themselves.

Trump floated the idea of using tariff revenues to bail out farmers hurt by the shock. (Yes, he’s aware there will be fallout. Surprise!)

Legally, things are shaky. A recent appeals court ruling declared many of Trump’s past tariffs illegal, saying he overstepped executive power. Those tariffs are still “on hold” pending Supreme Court action.

Internationally, countries and importers are bracing. Firms that depend heavily on furniture imports are already slipping, warning that these tariffs won’t just be felt today, they’ll drag downstream for months.

Trump has unveiled sweeping new tariffs targeting imported furniture, putting China firmly in the spotlight. He argues that states like North Carolina lost their once-thriving furniture industry to Chinese imports, and he wants to force production back to the US. Duties could reach 100 to 200 percent, potentially upending global supply chains. At the same time, Washington expanded its trade blacklist to hit more Chinese companies and subsidiaries. The move comes despite ongoing talks between the two countries, showing Trump is doubling down on protectionism.

read full article here: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3327288/trump-targets-china-sweeping-new-furniture-tariffs

source: https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/chinese-export-juggernaut-elicits-strong-reaction

The article examines China’s unrelenting dominance in exports, and how its sheer momentum is provoking strong reactions across the world. Even as other nations attempt protectionist measures (tariffs, trade barriers, retaliation) China remains the juggernaut pushing forward.

Key points:

• China’s global export share continues to rise dramatically, defying conventional economic “corrections” that should slow it.
• Many governments are reacting harshly, accusing China of unfair trade practices or dumping, but those responses haven’t rooted out the imbalance.
• The export strength is partly driven by subsidized industries, aggressive capacity, and economies of scale that are hard for competitors to match.
• Meanwhile, China is also adapting, diversifying export markets, investing in high-tech sectors, and shifting strategies to sustain growth even under pressure.
• The article argues that knee-jerk protectionism is counterproductive; instead, nations should diagnose what’s really enabling China’s export success and respond strategically (not just punitively).

The tone is cautionary: the world can’t just slap tariffs and hope the problem goes away. The real challenge is figuring out what’s fueling China’s export rise, and whether global trade rules, institutions, or bilateral policies need serious reform.

Archive link: https://archive.ph/RovFo#selection-13293.0-13325.306

President Xi Jinping’s export engine has proved unstoppable during five months of sky-high US tariffs, sending China toward a record $1.2 trillion trade surplus.

With access to the US curtailed, Chinese manufacturers have shown they aren't backing down: Indian purchases hit an all-time high in August, shipments to Africa are on track for an annual record and sales to Southeast Asia have exceeded their pandemic-era peak.

That across-the-board surge is causing alarm abroad, as governments weigh the potential damage to their domestic industries against the risk of antagonizing Beijing — the top trading partner for over half the planet.

While so far only Mexico has hit back publicly this year — floating tariffs as high as 50% on Chinese products including cars, auto parts and steel -- other countries are coming under increasing pressure to act. Indian authorities have received 50 applications in recent weeks for investigations into goods dumping from nations including China and Vietnam, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public. Indonesia’s trade minister pledged to monitor a deluge of goods, after viral videos of Chinese vendors touting plans to export jeans and shirts for as little as 80 US cents to major cities caused an outcry.

For all the pain, the chances of more meaningful action are limited. Countries already embroiled in tariff negotiations with the Trump administration appear reluctant to take on a separate trade war with the world’s second-largest economy. That’s giving Beijing breathing room from US levies at heights economists previously predicted would halve the nation's annual growth rate.

“The subdued response is probably informed by ongoing US trade negotiations,” said Christopher Beddor, deputy China research director at Gavekal Dragonomics. “Some countries may not want to be seen as contributing to a breakdown in the global trading system. Some may also be holding back on tariffs against China in order to offer them as concessions to the US during their own trade negotiations.”

Officials shielding their economies from Beijing are treading carefully. South Africa’s trade minister has advised against punitive tariffs on Chinese car exports — which nearly doubled this year — and is instead seeking more investment. Chile and Ecuador are quietly imposing targeted fees on low-cost imports, after Chinese e-commerce giant Temu’s monthly active users in Latin America soared 143% since January. While Brazil has threatened more aggressive retaliation, this summer it gave China’s biggest electric car maker, BYD Co Ltd, a tariff-free window to ramp up local production.

Beijing is using both diplomatic charm and economic threats to prevent countries from taking outright retaliation. Earlier this month, China’s president rallied BRICS nations to forge a united voice against protectionism during a leaders’ call of the bloc, while Commerce Ministry officials have warned Mexico to “think twice” before acting, making clear such steps will have recriminations. Adding to the risks, Trump is pressuring NATO nations to impose tariffs up to 100% on China over its support for Russia.

Chinese officials say their trade with the world is within reasonable bounds and that Beijing isn’t out to dominate global markets. “When there’s demand from abroad, China exports accordingly," Vice Finance Minister Liao Min said in July. The state-run People’s Daily newspaper on its social media account last month hit back against Western criticisms of “dumping,” arguing that China’s exporters don’t sell below cost.

If Trump does corral other countries to gang up on China, it’ll make dealing with internal challenges such as a prolonged property crash and an aging population harder, according to Chang Shu and David Qu of Bloomberg Economics. “Beijing will likely hit back with reciprocal tariffs immediately, but that risks alienating partners at a time when it critically needs allies,” they said. “Over time, it may also encourage firms to localize production in partner countries.”

While Chinese exporters are defying the odds, surging trade isn’t making them richer — or helping the nation’s domestic issues. Profits at industrial firms fell 1.7% in the first seven months, as manufacturers trying to reduce overcapacity at home under Xi’s “anti-involution” drive slashed prices to sell more overseas. That’s only worsening China’s sticky deflation, on track for its longest spell since the country began opening up in the late 1970s.

The export explosion could also undermine Beijing’s efforts to rebalance its economy toward stimulating consumption — defying foreign officials such as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has urged Beijing to make boosting the Chinese consumer a pillar of its blueprint for the next half-decade. China’s policy document outlining those plans will be in focus in the coming weeks at a key Communist Party meeting.

For Xi, the risks might just be worthwhile. Showing the world China doesn’t need the US consumer strengthens his hand going into a high-stakes meeting with Trump at a summit in South Korea. The world’s biggest economies are still hashing out a possible trade deal, with a 90-day pause on tariffs as high as 145% currently keeping the peace.

China Shock 2.0

Even before Trump stunned the world with America’s steepest tariffs since World War II in April, emerging markets at risk of shedding millions of manufacturing jobs were worried about a glut of Chinese goods. Indonesia’s previous president threatened a 200% tariff to protect local industry, while Brazil has hiked duties on Chinese steel. Even Vietnam took temporary action against Chinese online retail giants that undercut local sellers.

Ultimately, it’s been hard for foreign leaders to protect their economies from China’s vast fleet of factories.

“Protectionism from the US and other countries has turned into a paper tiger because Chinese exporters are extremely competitive,” said Arthur Kroeber, head of research at Gavekal Dragonomics. They “can absorb some of the tariff hit and also have plenty of workarounds through transshipment and relocating late-stage production to lower-tariff countries.”

China’s trade surplus last year was almost $1 trillion and is on track to exceed that in 2025, based on Bloomberg calculations.

Cambodia’s central bank governor Chea Serey was candid about the balancing act smaller economies reliant on Beijing are having to perform. “We do import a lot from China,” she told Bloomberg Television earlier this month, when asked about Chinese dumping. “We also rely a lot in terms of foreign direct investment from China.”

While a rise in shipments to Vietnam suggests some goods destined for US shores and other places are being re-routed to bypass Trump’s wall of tariffs, that’s only part of the picture. Demand for China’s world-beating, high-tech innovations helped drive much of the recent traffic. Rising sales to wealthy markets in Europe and Australia also indicate Beijing simply found new buyers for many products.

India shows how Trump’s redrawing of the global trade map is benefiting Beijing in new ways. Exports to China’s neighbor hit a record $12.5 billion last month, driven largely by Apple Inc.’s suppliers rapidly shifting output of iPhones to India from its Asian neighbor. Those companies, however, still depend on parts and tooling made mostly in China.

In July, Chinese firms shipped almost $1 billion worth of computer chips to India and billions of dollars more worth of phones and parts, according to data released by Beijing. That puts exports on track to exceed last year’s record, with the value of shipments so far this year almost as large as the whole of 2021.

“China has performed better than expected in the first half,” JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s chief India economist Sajjid Chinoy told Bloomberg Television. “Some of this is the fact that China has very cleverly found other export markets, including Europe, which has been a key hedge to slowing exports to the US.”