China's trade hubs show strain as tariff war with US escalates
Apr 13, 2025
Washington, DC [US], April 13 : Key Chinese trade hubs are beginning to show early signs of disruption as the US-China tariff war intensifies, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Major export provinces and shipping ports, including Shanghai and Guangdong, have seen a sharp decline in activity, with cargo traffic to the United States coming to a near halt.
By Thursday, "almost no cargo ships were headed to the US from the previously busy ports of Shanghai and Guangdong, and export factories in key provinces that support China's export industry had come to a standstill," RFA cited. Shipping containers that missed the April 9 deadline for US-bound vessels are now stacked high at these ports.
RFA further reported that in Zhejiang and Guangdong--the provinces contributing the most to China's exports in 2024--factory operations have been brought to a halt. Warehouses are filled with products initially destined for the US market but now left unused amid the trade freeze.
According to Radio Free Asia, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced an increase in "reciprocal tariffs" on China to 125 per cent, stating they would take effect immediately. The White House later clarified that the total tariffs on Chinese imports now amount to 145 per cent, including the previous 20 per cent levy related to Beijing's role in the fentanyl trade.
In retaliation, China raised its own tariffs on US imports on Friday from 84 per cent to 125 per cent, responding to the latest round of US tariff hikes.
The current standoff has been escalating for over two months. The dispute began on February 4 when Trump first imposed a 10 per cent tariff on China, citing the country's alleged involvement in trafficking fentanyl, a deadly opioid that has contributed to widespread deaths in the United States, as reported by RFA.
China responded by imposing a 15 per cent tariff on US coal and liquefied natural gas, and a 10 per cent tariff on crude oil, large automobiles, and agricultural machinery. Trump later increased the tariffs on Chinese goods by another 10 per cent, raising the total to 20 per cent, triggering the ongoing tit-for-tat between the two global powers.
