Now, onto our Special Tariff Edition of the Trade Compliance Snapshot.
Trump's tariffs: tracking the status of international trade actions
April 2 saw the announcement of the sweeping tariffs the Trump administration has been talking about since starting on the campaign trail last year. SupplyChainDive has put together a handy tracker you can use to keep up on the latest updates as things continue to change quickly. The tracker is sortable by sector or region, making it easier to follow what matters most to your company's bottom line.
Port of LA's Seroka says tariffs to cut container volumes by 10%
Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka said in a recent interview that he believes volumes at the nation's largest shipping port are likely to drop by double digits in the second half of 2025. He cites two primary causes for this projected drop: frontloading since last summer's peak season and the tariff expansions announced earlier this week. Seroka also notes a discrepancy in impact by company size, with larger enterprises more able to shift their buying forward and frontload inventory while smaller entities, who are more likely to rely on just-in-time shipping, are left to deal with the full fallout.
Demand improves in March but air cargo faces a "seismic shock"
Over at Air Cargo News, they're talking about how volumes that have been trending up through the early months of 2025—citing the latest figures from Xeneta showing March air cargo demand having increased by 5% year on year—are likely to drop dramatically starting in May. That's when the suspension of the de minimis exemption on China to U.S. parcels implemented in February is set to expire. That, combined with the rollout of these sweeping new tariffs, is what Xeneta's chief airfreight officer Niall van de Wouw sees causing a "seismic shock" in the air freight industry.
Trump's massive 46% Vietnam tariffs pummel Nike, American Eagle, and Wayfair
After the last round of escalating tariffs during the first Trump administration, many companies shifted production from China, the main target of those tariffs, to countries in Southeast Asia—like Vietnam, the target of a currently proposed 46% tariff. With the growing uncertainty, many of the biggest brands in the world are seeing stock prices plummet, and for some smaller brands that support the big names, the future of their businesses is being called into question.
NRF expects 'slower trajectory for consumer spending' in 2025 as tariffs fuel uncertainty, inflation fears
RetailDive takes a look at how the just-announced tariffs will impact the trajectory of consumer spending in the U.S. The National Retail Federation (NRF) said they expect to see GDP growth in 2025 to be down nearly 2%, below last year's 2.8% growth which was bolstered by pandemic-era trends and stimulus support.
How Pax AI helps importers stay compliant and recover duties
Pax AI helps U.S. importers streamline customs compliance, recover overpaid duties, and stay ahead of evolving trade regulations. Whether you're navigating Section 301 tariffs, managing international returns, or expanding cross-border sales, Pax automates the complex duty drawback process and reduces manual errors.
Learn how Pax AI supports importers and exporters with duty recovery →