After the Sino-U.S. governments mutually reduced tariffs on May 14, American merchants are taking advantage of the 90-day "ceasefire" window by frantically stocking up on Chinese goods. Some Chinese foreign trade manufacturers indicated that some American buyers are "not negotiating on price, just seeking speed," with some orders valued between $100,000 to $150,000. Some American buyers have already placed their Christmas season orders in advance.
●"I want a container load of goods"
Following high-level talks between China and the U.S. in Switzerland, both sides agreed to temporarily lower tariffs starting May 14, with U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports temporarily reduced from a high of 145% to 30%. After the reciprocal tariff reduction, the enthusiasm among U.S. merchants to stockpile goods has continued to rise. The "Beijing News" on the 26th quoted Ding Linfeng, general manager of Shanghai Weierda Sunshade Equipment Co., Ltd., saying that he hadn't expected the American clients to react so quickly. On the evening of May 12, following the official announcement of the tariff reduction, an American client requested the additional order of a container load of goods, valued at $100,000.
"I want a container load of goods!" and "Ship it by air immediately!" are phrases recently heard most frequently by cross-border businessmen. "Clients are now urgently replenishing their orders, hoping we can complete production within a month, as the subsequent shipment will spend another month at sea. Everyone hopes to seize the 90-day shipping window," revealed Ding Linfeng. A long-term American client is also planning to order 1 to 2 containers of goods, with a total amount of around $150,000.
Wu Qingfen, general manager of Zhejiang Yiwu Jingwen Import and Export Co., Ltd., stated that their sock production orders have already been scheduled until the end of June. Currently, the company’s over 200 sock machines are working overtime. She mentioned that each machine can produce 300 to 400 pairs of socks every day, and they have begun operating at full capacity. Wu Qingfen said, "An old American buyer directly and straightforwardly ordered 300,000 pairs of socks. I’ve looked at the order repeatedly; it's been a month since we received such a large order."
●Merchants report receiving $300,000 in orders in one day
Wang Li, general manager of Shenzhen Maiqijia Home Furnishing Co., is similarly being urged to deliver goods, with several American clients being Amazon sellers. She stated that on May 13, her company received four new orders from the U.S. in one day, totaling $300,000, nearly equivalent to the company's usual half-month earnings. "Some clients are in a hurry, requesting part of the goods to be shipped by air, which almost never happened before," noted Wang Li. Due to the uncertainty about tariff policies after the 90 days, clients are mostly stocking up, with the stock volume roughly equivalent to an average of 3 to 4 months of inventory.