Impact and countermeasures of the US tariff increase on China's foreign trade industry

In 2025, the United States announced that it would impose "reciprocal tariffs" on its trading partners and impose high tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the United States. The United States has long faced a trade deficit, and the government believes that the trade system is "unfair" to it, which is the main background for the tariff increase.

This move has many direct impacts on China's foreign trade industry. Export costs have risen sharply, and profits have been severely compressed. For example, the profit margin of the clothing and textile industry has been greatly squeezed. The order volume has decreased significantly, and the market share has declined. Bloomberg Economic Research predicts that China's exports to the United States may fall by about 90% by 2030. The cross-border e-commerce industry has also been frustrated. The cancellation of duty-free treatment for small imported goods has impacted related platforms and small and medium-sized sellers.

The indirect impact cannot be ignored either. The overseas production capacity layout has been hindered, and the global layout strategy of enterprises has been limited; the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain have been affected, and from upstream suppliers to downstream service industries, they are all facing difficulties; corporate confidence has been frustrated, and investment has become cautious.

In response, China has taken countermeasures such as tariffs, export controls and sanctions to affect US exports to China and promote domestic substitution in some industries.

Faced with challenges, China's foreign trade industry has responded positively. At the enterprise level, it has promoted market diversification and explored other overseas markets; accelerated industrial upgrading and innovation, increased product added value; optimized the supply chain, and reduced costs and risks. At the government level, it has eased trade tensions through diplomacy and negotiations, introduced policies to support foreign trade companies, expanded domestic demand and reduced dependence on exports.

Although the US tariffs have brought challenges, China's countermeasures and response strategies are working, and in the long run, they have also provided an opportunity for the transformation and upgrading of the industry. Through joint efforts, China's foreign trade industry is expected to achieve sustainable development.