US tariffs hit supplies of summer essentials; Chinese firms find new growth points in other markets
发布日期：2025-05-27 09:20:48 点击量：20次
In the US, the Memorial Day long weekend, which ran from Saturday to Monday this year, often marks the unofficial start of the summer vacation season filled with a slew of activities ranging from barbeques in the backyard to sun-tanning on the beach. But this year, as Americans plan for such activities, they most likely have to consider a new factor: the availability and prices of summer essentials such as umbrellas, swimsuits and fans.China is the biggest supplier of many US summer goods, accounting for over 90 percent of the US' imports of certain products such as umbrellas. After the US' imposition of sky-high tariffs on Chinese products, many shipments of summer goods have been impacted. And although some US importers have resumed certain shipments and orders following the recent China-US mutual tariff reduction, major impact will still be felt due to remaining tariffs and lingering uncertainties, according to several Chinese suppliers.In interviews with the Global Times, these Chinese suppliers made it clear that it is their US clients and ultimately US consumers who will pay for higher prices even if certain products are being shipped to the US. Moreover, although their US orders are declining, businesses from other markets from Europe to South America are surging, offsetting their losses in the US market, they said.Such a shifting dynamic further underscores the resilience of China's foreign trade sector, as companies proactively respond to challenges in certain markets by improving their products through innovation and find new growth points through diversification, a Chinese expert said.
Costlier essentials"Recently, we successfully shipped two containers of umbrellas to the US. Following the announcement of tariff modification measures by China and the US, some US clients have expressed willingness to place orders on two containers of umbrellas, though a decision hasn't been made due to lingering tariffs," Zhu Yiqi, manager of Zhejiang Yiwu Qifeng Rain Gear Firm, told the Global Times.The firm's products are attractive to US clients because of their cost advantages from large-scale production, supply chain reliability accumulated over the past 20 years and a swift after-sales service system, Zhu said.A significant portion of American imports of summer essentials originate from China, including 96 percent of umbrellas and sun umbrellas, over 83 percent of certain footwear, and over 30 percent of swimwear, according to 2024 data from Supply Chain Dive, a global supply chain news outlet.Xu Yongzhu, deputy manager with Qicaihu Garments Weaving Co, a swimsuit manufacturer in Jinjiang, East China's Fujian Province, told the Global Times that 80 percent of its US clients have now resumed price inquiries.However, given the US' remaining tariff of around 30 percent on Chinese products, Xu said the company's exports will inevitably be affected.Declining exports for Xu and other Chinese exporters could in turn mean limited options and higher prices for US consumers."Our products have high cost-performance. For example, a 9-yuan ($1.25) mini fan sold to US importers may be sold at $9 in supermarkets in the US. No matter how high the US tariff is, it is American consumers that pay the costs," Chen Jianping, manager of Jinyang Daily Use Products Factory, a manufacturer of mini fans in Yiwu, East China's Zhejiang Province, told the Global Times.Many US retailers have already said they will raise prices because of the US' additional tariffs. US companies that could raise prices on everyday items include Walmart, toy manufacturing giant Mattel and electronics retailer Best Buy, CNN reported on Saturday.Some US consumers have already taken to social media to express frustration with the rising costs caused by the tariffs."Stop with the tariffs! Stop!" Cassie Medina, a self-described millennial mom from the US state of Texas, posted on TikTok recently, while saying that "all I'm trying to is order these bathing suits fam," according to a Washington Post report on May 10.'Not afraid'Meanwhile, Chinese firms interviewed by the Global Times said that although orders from the US are declining, they are well-prepared to deal with the challenge, as they have already seen growing demand from other parts of the world after years of diversification efforts."We conduct global business and thus are not afraid of US tariffs," Chen said, adding that his clients are now primarily from countries and regions including Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.A European client started cooperation with the company in 2018. For the first year, the client bought only several thousands of mini fans but after years of cooperation, the client now buys over 10 containers of the company's products every year and sell them to multiple countries, including Spain and Italy, according to Chen.This is also the case for Xu's swimsuit company. Xu said the company has been expanding to markets such as Europe and South America since about eight years ago, with its network of friends growing."Currently, the proportion of European orders has risen from 30 percent to around 55 percent, while South American orders have increased to about 25 percent. Thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, our orders have shown notable growth," he said.Another source of confidence among Chinese companies comes from their efforts to boost competitiveness through innovation in manufacturing and other aspects of their businesses."We continuously boost the dual-wheel strategy of category expansion and technological upgrade, with our products being expanded from traditional all-weather umbrellas to high-end products such as garden umbrellas and smart umbrellas. The value-added of our products has risen by over 25 percent, enabling the company to reshape international competitiveness advantage with technology premiums," Zhu said.Xu's swimwear company has also moved to expand and upgrade its product offerings in recent years. Three years ago, the company established a premium production workshop dedicated to high-end orders, generating profits several times higher than regular orders. Beyond swimsuits, it now produces fitness leggings, yoga apparel, and even cotton-padded coats - a product category it entered two years ago, Xu said.These efforts and their positive results highlight the resilience of China's foreign trade industry in spite of the external challenges, Bai Ming, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times.As Chinese foreign trade enterprises continue to seize opportunities brought about by the digital development of international trade, while actively developing new business models including cross-border e-commerce, they will be able to nurture new growth points, Bai said.
