On February 27, Eastern Standard Time, US President Trump announced that starting from March 4, the US would impose a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on China on the same day. Given that the US had already imposed a 10% tariff on China on February 1, with this new 10% increase, the total tariff increase on Chinese goods in 2025 will reach 20%.

When combined with the 25% tariff from the previous Section 301 investigation, the total tariff increase on many products will be as high as 45%. For steel products, the total tariff increase will reach 70%: 25% (Section 232) + 25% (Section 301) + 10% (tariff increase on February 1) + 10% (tariff increase on March 4) = 70%.

The US's frequent imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods has brought significant uncertainty to the entire export industry chain. From the perspective of exporters and cross-border sellers, the number of uncontrollable cost fluctuations has increased, making pricing even more difficult. The prices originally agreed with customers may need to be readjusted, and the tariff may be raised again while the goods are still in transit by sea and have not yet reached the US.

The US tariff increase will lead to a short-term decline in China's exports to the US, which will further drive down sea freight rates. However, since the Chinese New Year, sea freight rates have already dropped to a floor price of less than $3,000 per container, leaving little room for further price cuts. Therefore, the room for the decline in sea freight rates to offset the increase in tariffs has become smaller.

For cross-border logistics enterprises, although the decline in sea freight rates has alleviated the pressure of advancing freight funds, the pressure of advancing tariff funds has increased significantly. In 2025, a relatively large proportion of the revenue sources of many cross-border logistics enterprises may come from advancing tariffs, while the freight volume may not show a significant increase.

On one hand, the US's imposition of tariffs on China has pushed up the domestic inflation level in the US and increased the shopping burden on US consumers, which is actually not conducive to the stability of the global industrial chain. However, it is worth noting that the US cannot find substitutes for all product categories from markets outside China. This means that even if prices rise, US consumers still have to continue purchasing relevant products.

The increase in tariffs drives up the selling price, which places higher demands on the financial capabilities of e-commerce sellers. For some large-category products, transferring production and exports to countries in Southeast Asia and other regions has become an inevitable choice. The trend from capacity transfer, service export, entrepot trade to the combination of local production and service has become an important development direction. In 2025, the situation of "out of the game if you don't go global" is becoming more urgent.

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WeChat Official Account: Cross-border E-commerce Logistics Baixiaosheng