Track every tariff turn - without scrolling endless headlines. Tariff Pulse distills the latest U.S.– China trade-war moves, as well as a global tariff related updates, duty changes, and policy signals into colour-coded cards that flag risk or relief at a glance. Short summaries give you the high-level view of what happened and why it matters to e-commerce sellers and U.S. importers or those selling into the US - whether the impact is on landed cost, cash-flow, or sourcing strategy.
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US-China to kick off tariff talks in Switzerland this week, but quick deal unlikely Positive ↑
• High-level US-China trade talks will begin May 9–12, with Treasury Secretary Bessent and China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng attending the first face-to-face since January.• Both sides say they’re open to talks, but remain firm—China vows to fight to the end if needed, while Bessent says this round is…
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US stocks drop as Bessent confirms no China trade talks, Trump says US doesn’t ‘have to sign’ deals Negative ↓
• Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sparked a midday market rally by saying the U.S. had received “good offers” and may finalize major trade deals “as early as this week.”• But Trump undercut that optimism, telling reporters the U.S. doesn’t need to sign any deals—“they want a piece of our market,…
See MoreUK-India free trade deal slashes steep tariffs on whisky, gin, cars, and Indian exports Positive ↑
• Britain and India just signed a sweeping free trade agreement cutting tariffs on goods like Scotch, gin, cars, and Indian textiles, food, and jewelry.• British whisky and gin will see tariffs fall from 150% to 40%, while India gains near full duty-free access for exports like textiles, footwear,…
See MoreMattel hikes toy prices, Ford braces for $2.5B hit as Trump tariffs ripple across industries Negative ↓
• Mattel is raising U.S. prices and scaling back China imports after warning tariffs will cost it $270M this year—Barbie and Hot Wheels could get pricier.• Ford projects a $2.5B tariff hit and has yanked its annual outlook, citing “severe disruption” across supply chains.• With GM forecasting up to…
See MoreNavigating the Grey: Stories from the Edge of Customs Declarations and DDP Neutral →
A trusted friend in Zhejiang shared his factory's experiences with customs inspections and low declarations under DDP arrangements. Over two years and fifteen containers, his freight forwarder consistently reported lower values without issue until recently. One container underwent rigorous customs…
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Trump Orders 100% Tariff on Foreign-Made Movies to 'Save Dying' Hollywood Negative ↓
• Trump wants the Commerce Department to slap a 100% tariff on movies produced outside the U.S.• It’s unclear how this would work—films are services, not goods, and current trade rules don’t tariff creative content.• Many U.S. studios film abroad to cut costs, so this could backfire domestically.…
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I just saw a tariff bill showing a shocking 125% duty. Has anyone else come across this? Negative ↓
Someone just shared a customs bill showing duties at 125% (total 25%+20%+125%), and honestly, I thought I'd seen it all until now. Those numbers ain't just high, they're straight-up lethal for SMEs. Especially brutal if you shipped product before the hike hit, only to see your cash flow vaporized…
See MoreThink Vietnam Is Cheaper? Check Productivity Before Your COGS Spikes 12% Negative ↓
With the current tariffs looming, Vietnam seemed like our lifeline until we dug into real numbers. Sure, Vietnamese factories offered lower wages, but their productivity? Only a third of China’s. My cost per T-shirt actually rose 12% after accounting for output efficiency. Worse still, multiple…
See Moreworkarounds for post‑may 2 de minimis loss: mexico cross‑dock experience and reliable warehouse contacts wanted Neutral →
starting may 2 duty free on chinese parcels under eight hundred dollars disappears. that means every indie seller like me now faces full tariffs or a flat fee we still don’t know. i’m looking at a twenty percent margin hit on each sixty dollar brush set. heard some folks already reroute small…
See MoreForwarder Charged 20% Duty on Feb Shipment that Qualified for 10% Rate Negative ↓
Shipped a 20 CBM, 272‑carton LCL load out of Yantian on 5 February; it cleared Miami late March. My forwarder billed the full 20 percent Section 301 duty, but everything loaded before 1 March should still get the 10 percent rate. I discovered the mismatch after paying and now they claim there is no…
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