Ex-Asia Shipments Rushed, Halted, or Postponed Ahead of Tariff Deadline

President Donald Trump's broad "reciprocal" tariffs enacted across dozens of countries are causing businesses worldwide to rethink how and when their shipments are headed to the U.S. Just days after the President hailed the extensive tariffs, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association's (BGMEA) Chittagong office called upon the Bangladesh Shipping Association, among others, to expedite shipments to the U.S. already delayed in Chattogram Port and inland container depots.

The request comes as the April 9 deadline for the new country-specific tariffs goes into effect Wednesday, which for Bangladesh will rise to (at least) 37 percent. Ten percent of the import tariffs across all impacted countries went into effect Saturday. In the non-apparel supply chain, Apple is scrambling to get out in front of the tariffs and has already shipped five chartered planes of iPhones and other products from India to the U.S. at the end of March.

Concerns arise as the April 9 deadline for the new country-specific tariffs begins next Wednesday, which would raise Bangladesh’s tariffs to (at least) 37 percent. The 10 percent import tariffs from all countries affected went into effect last Saturday. In another area away from the apparel supply chain, Apple is racing to get into production before the tariffs go into effect, and in fact, shipped five planes of iPhones and other goods from India to the U.S. in late March.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, the tech giant plans to ship more iPhones from India to the United States for the short-term in order to offset tariffs, and hopes to obtain exemptions from tariffs, like it did during the first Trump administration. Meanwhile, other parties are trying to ride out any supply chain chaos by either delaying or pausing shipments altogether.