West Coast politicians, port executives protest ‘reckless’ tariffs

A coalition of West Coast politicians and ports are warning that the Trump administration’s tariffs are precipitating significant supply chain disruptions that will have far-reaching consequences for both regional and national economies.

The officials from Washington, Oregon and California in a virtual press conference Thursday said that the window to minimize economic damage is rapidly closing, with small businesses already facing dire consequences comparable to those experienced during the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/west-coast-politicians-port-executives-protest-reckless-tariffs

DHL drops embargo on medium-value goods after US walks back customs rule

DHL Express withdrew its suspension on deliveries valued above $800 to private individuals in the United States after negotiating changes to new customs rules that had created a significant administrative burden, the company said in a customer notice Monday.

The express carrier, part of the Deutsche Post Group, one week ago stopped accepting business-to-consumer shipments with a value above $800. The suspension was implemented to ensure service levels after U.S. Customs and Border Protection, at...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dhl-drops-embargo-on-medium-value-goods-after-us-walks-back-customs-rule

Air cargo faces $22B revenue hit when China tariff exemption ends

U.S. plans next month to cancel tariff-free access for low-value parcel shipments from China and Hong Kong, coupled with a new 145% tariff rate on Chinese imports, could bleed more than $22 billion in revenue from the air cargo sector over three years and put thousands of online sellers with direct-to-consumer fulfillment models out of business, according to an e-commerce and logistics consulting firm. 

Derek Lossing, the founder of Cirrus Global Advisors, has previously said the Trump...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/air-cargo-faces-22b-revenue-hit-when-china-tariff-exemption-ends

DHL temporarily suspends B2C shipments over $800 to US

Integrated logistics company DHL on Monday will temporarily suspend e-commerce shipments to individuals in the United States when the declared customs value exceeds $800 because import specialists are overwhelmed filing extra documentation after U.S. customs authorities lowered the threshold for filing an informal entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection on April 5, in response to President Donald Trump’s order for reciprocal tariffs under emergency authority, began requiring a formal entry...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/dhl-temporarily-suspends-b2c-shipments-over-800-to-us

BNSF’s trade-related intermodal projects move ahead despite tariffs

BNSF Railway is not hitting the pause button on a pair of trade-dependent intermodal projects in California and Arizona despite the broad tariffs that the Trump administration unveiled last Wednesday.

BNSF is planning to build a $1.5 billion terminal and transload center in Barstow, California, to handle international containers. The 4,500-acre Barstow International Gateway project aims to speed imported freight to inland markets by reducing the amount of time containers dwell on the docks at...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/bnsfs-trade-related-intermodal-projects-move-ahead-despite-tariffs

Trump revoca el acceso libre de impuestos para los envíos de comercio electrónico chino

El presidente Donald Trump ordenó el miércoles por la noche al gobierno de los Estados Unidos que finalizara el tratamiento libre de impuestos para envíos de pequeños dólares de China y Hong Kong, a partir del 2 de mayo, como una forma de cortar importaciones ilícitas de opioides sintéticos y...

https://fullavantenews.com/trump-revoca-el-acceso-libre-de-impuestos-para-los-envios-de-comercio-electronico-chino/?lang=es

Trump revokes duty-free access for Chinese e-commerce shipments

President Donald Trump late Wednesday ordered the U.S. government to end duty-free treatment for small-dollar shipments from China and Hong Kong, effective May 2, as a way to cut off illicit imports of synthetic opioids and level the playing field for domestic retailers. The action is expected to upend e-commerce supply chains and could hurt the air cargo industry, which moves most cross-border packages for online retailers. 

Under U.S. trade law, goods valued at $800 or less shipped to a single...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trump-revokes-duty-free-access-for-chinese-e-commerce-shipments

Cross-border freight gets reprieve from ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs

WASHINGTON — Cross-border freight markets got some positive news out of the slate of reciprocal tariffs announced by President Donald Trump at the White House Wednesday with an important exclusion specific to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

President Trump with tariff scorecard on Wednesday. (Credit: Truth Social)

Trump left the USMCA out of his “Liberation Day” tariff policy that saw a baseline 10% tariff on all U.S. trading partners, with reciprocal tariffs on some countries as...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cross-border-freight-gets-reprieve-from-liberation-day-tariffs

Trucks make January run for the border at railroads’ expense

North American transborder freight carried by railroads declined in January from the same month the previous year even as shipments hauled by trucks increased by double digits.

Overall transborder freight totaled $134.4 billion in January, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) said, an increase of 8.2% from January 2024.

Railroads moved $15.2 billion of that, down 2.7% y/y, while trucks accounted for $87.6 billion, up 10.2%.

While January historically is a slack period for most freight,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trucks-make-january-run-for-the-border-at-railroads-expense

New UPS tool helps online shoppers calculate import fees before buying

UPS this week said it has incorporated a landed cost calculator to its shipping technology that e-commerce merchants can integrate into their online stores so customers see the import duties, taxes and fees upfront at checkout.

The new tool, UPS Global Checkout, aims to prevent consumers from being surprised by unpaid import fees collected upon delivery, which can sour the shopping experience and potentially cause a loss in brand loyalty. Global Checkout uses AI to assess items in the shopping...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/new-ups-tool-helps-online-shoppers-calculate-import-fees-before-buying