U.S. Imports from China Finish Strong Amid Upcoming Tariffs

By Lisa Baertlein and Ellen Zhang

Los Angeles/Beijing (Reuters) – U.S. imports from China wrapped up the year positively as companies expanded their stock of apparel, toys, furniture, and electronics before President-elect Donald Trump takes office with plans to impose new tariffs that could escalate trade tensions between the world’s major economies.

Trump has threatened tariffs ranging from 10% to 60% on Chinese goods, beginning January 20. His first term primarily focused on Chinese parts and components, but experts predict that future tariffs could target finished products more broadly.

“There has thus been an uptick in the exports of final goods from China to the U.S., as importers aim to front-run possible tariffs on consumer items,” stated Frederic Neumann, chief Asia economist at HSBC in Hong Kong.

Chinese trade officials reported a significant surge in December exports, highlighting concerns about rising trade protectionism in the U.S. and Europe.

In December, the equivalent of 451,000 40-foot containers of goods from China arrived at U.S. seaports—a 14.5% increase year-over-year, according to Descartes Systems Group (NASDAQ:DSGX).

This growth capped off a year when U.S. imports of bedding, plastic toys, machinery, and other products from China increased by 15% compared to 2023, per Descartes.

While some U.S. retailers hurried to bring in goods to avoid potential new tariff costs, gauging the true impact on overall import growth remains challenging due to the private nature of import data. Additionally, strong consumer demand and safety stocks brought in against shipping disruptions from Houthi attacks near the Suez Canal and East Coast labor disputes complicate the analysis.

Trump has also indicated plans to impose tariffs on goods from other countries, including neighboring Mexico and Canada.

Consequently, various categories of U.S. imports from all regions saw significant growth in the fourth quarter, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

• Textiles and apparel rose by 20.7%
• Leisure products, mainly toys, increased by 15.4%
• Home furnishings climbed by 13.4%
• Household appliances and consumer electronics grew by 9.6% and 7.9%, respectively, as reported by S&P.

Categories deemed consumer staples, such as household and personal care products as well as food and beverages, also witnessed notable increases of 14.2% and 12.5%, as reported by S&P.