For months, tariff talks have felt speculative, but now, the consequences are undeniable.
China has already sent two empty tankers back to their ports, signaling the damage to their economy. Meanwhile, the Port of Los Angeles is reporting a 10% drop in shipping traffic compared to this time last year, and officials are warning that a 35% decline in cargo is expected by next week as shipments from China cease entirely.
Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, recently warned that Trump's 90-day pause on "reciprocal" tariffs made no real difference for businesses. Retailers typically place orders months in advance, and now, orders have dried up. Exporters in agriculture, heavy-duty manufacturing, and tech services are getting "hit hard" by retaliatory tariffs. In fact, China just bought more soybeans from Brazil than ever before, completely bypassing U.S. farmers.
Retailers are sitting on just six to eight weeks of inventory, but without urgent changes, those supplies will quickly run out. Seroka put it bluntly: U.S. consumers and manufacturers will soon face "difficult decisions," with empty shelves looming.
Even if Trump reversed every tariff today, the damage is already done. Prices are rising, uncertainty is growing, and the effects will linger. How long and how deep this pain will go remains unclear.
Major logistics firm Flexport reports that shipping cancellations from China have already hit 50%. Apollo Global Management forecasts that by late May, domestic freight demand could "come to a halt," leading to empty shelves, mass layoffs in trucking and retail sectors, and a full-blown recession this summer.
Meanwhile, Trump’s first 100 days have been disastrous for the stock market, the worst start for a president since Richard Nixon’s second term. The S&P 500 is down 7.9% since Inauguration Day, wiping out all post-election gains. Container liners, trucking companies, and retailers like Amazon and Target are suffering heavy losses, while America’s economic standing weakens and other nations turn to China for trade partnerships.
Those with more wealth can absorb these shocks. But everyday Americans, who spend most of their paycheck on goods and services, are already cutting back. Working families are being hit first and hardest by Trump’s reckless policies.
We can’t afford to sit back and watch this happen. It’s time to hold Trump accountable and demand real leadership that puts American workers and families first.
