Trump 1.0 tariffs failed to curb China-US trade
- China-US box volumes decreased by just 0.1% between 2018 and 2024
- Chinese cargo volumes circumvented tariffs by rerouting through other countries, most notably Mexico and Canada
- Analysts warn US tariffs on China targeting consumer goods and potential further trade restrictions could prove much more significant under Trump’s second term
Despite the raft of US tariffs on Chinese goods over the past seven years, there has been no material impact on containerised trade, official trade volume data has revealed. However, as US president Donald Trump ups the ante of the trade war in his second term, targeting consumer goods specifically, China-US volumes could soon be on a downward trajectory
