Flexport

On May 7th, Flexport is hosting an evening of networking, insights, and good conversation at Encore Casino, and you’re invited! We’ll unpack what’s ahead for the ocean freight market and tariff landscape in 2025 — hot topics for anyone in supply chain and logistics right now. Whether you're tackling these challenges daily or just curious about what’s coming next, it’s a great chance to learn, share, and connect with others in the space. 👉 Hope to see you there!

In this week’s newsletter: On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day suspension of country-specific reciprocal tariffs for all trade partners except China—less than 24 hours after they were implemented. This means that all other countries (except for China) now have reverted to the universal baseline tariff of 10%, originally set on April 5, for the duration of the pause. China, however, has now faced a tariff rate of 125%, up from the 84% rate that took effect on Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, the White House issued an Executive Order titled "Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance," laying out a strategy to revitalize U.S. commercial shipbuilding and strengthen the maritime workforce. A key part of the Executive Order is aimed at fixing a loophole in how the Harbor Maintenance Fee (HMF) is applied. Read the full breakdown in the newsletter below—and don’t forget to subscribe for future updates: flx.to/gqv #supplychain #logistics #freightmarket #freightindustry #oceanfreight #oceancargo #oceanshipping #airfreight #aircargo #airshipping #trucking #intermodal #railfreight

How can businesses mitigate the impact of tariffs? One major strategy is duty drawback, which lets U.S. manufacturers and exporters recover up to 99% of the duties, taxes, and fees paid on imported goods upon their exportation or destruction. Regular tariffs, Sections 201 and 301 tariffs, and IEEPA reciprocal tariffs are eligible for duty drawback. On the other hand, Section 232 tariffs, IEEPA fentanyl tariffs, antidumping and countervailing duties, and agricultural over-quota duties are not. For a comprehensive eligibility breakdown, including details on covered products, impacted countries, and aggregated HTS codes, check out our live blog: https://lnkd.in/eVfytJjS And learn more about Flexport's duty drawback program here: https://lnkd.in/eGdwiSHY

Flexport’s President Sanne Manders returned to this morning’s BBC News radio broadcast to discuss the Trump administration’s latest increase in tariffs on China, which took effect at midnight today. “If [Chinese-origin goods] are loaded on a vessel now, it’ll be taxed at 104%,” Sanne explained. “If it was loaded before the [April 9] cutoff date, then it’ll still be under the old tariff regime. We’ll still see cargo arriving in the U.S. over the next two weeks or so that will be under the old regime.” Listen to Sanne’s full segment here, beginning around the 18-minute mark: https://flx.to/bbc-apr-9

[LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER] Looking for the latest trade lane news? Don’t miss tomorrow’s Freight Market Update Live webinar, featuring Flexport’s Nathan Strang, Kyle Beaulieu, and Thomas P.C. Kempf. We’ll cover the latest on North America operations, ports, and labor; the Transpacific Eastbound (TPEB) trade lane; and air freight. 🌊✈️ Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/e9tWq4yD

[LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER] Tomorrow (April 9), join our experts at our next webinar on U.S. tariff developments. We’ll dive into last week’s Liberation Day announcements, what’s happened since then, and impacts on your shipments. Plus, learn more about navigating customs clearance and ensuring accurate imports. 📌 Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gJ89k8aM

The upcoming elimination of the de minimis exemption—which will eventually apply to every U.S. trade partner, not just China—impacts many retailers around the world. “Over 30% of large ecommerce brands in the U.S. are fulfilling from Mexico or Canada, one item at a time,” Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen said on CNN last week. “Companies are scrambling to bring that fulfillment back to the U.S.” And as tariffs and trade continue to evolve, businesses will continue to face new complexities. “That’s where we can create a lot of value for our customers, and help them manage [these changes] with data,” Ryan continued. “It matters, for example, where steel was smelted. You really need technology to track these things.” Read Ryan’s blog post on the upcoming end of de minimis: https://lnkd.in/gU6Ar6eF And watch the full CNN segment here: https://flx.to/cnn-yt-LI

Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen still sees opportunity in global trade despite Trump’s tariffs https://tcrn.ch/4lm13Za

💡 What if getting insights from your supply chain data was as easy as asking a question? In a recent webinar, Alex Nederlof, Douglas Brown and Mathijs Slangen spoke about Flexport Insights Builder - an AI-powered tool that gives instant answers from your supply chain data. No more waiting on analysts. Just fast, flexible insights. 🚀 Watch the webinar on demand here 👉 https://lnkd.in/ecR4TyRn

In celebration of Women’s History Month, Flexport hosted an exclusive dinner series for female leaders in Los Angeles and New York City. We brought together 26 accomplished women, including finance and supply chain leaders, founders, and CEOs. We’re honored to connect with women who are leading the charge across the industry. A big thank you to everyone who joined us! This is just the beginning. 👏