Freight Forwarder Service Optimization Strategies Under Trump’s 2025 Tariff Hikes
Background Overview
In 2025, the Trump administration plans to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods, directly increasing trade costs between China and the US. Chinese exporters face dual pressures of shrinking profit margins and intensified market competition. Freight forwarders must innovate transportation service models to help clients reduce logistics costs and enhance supply chain resilience.
Service Optimization Directions
- Multimodal Transportation Network Expansion
- Land-Sea Intermodal: Strengthen cooperation with China-Europe Railway Express and Central Asia Railway services, combining maritime routes to create indirect transport paths such as "China-Central Asia/Europe-North America," circumventing high-tariff risks.
- Air-Sea Intermodal: For high-value goods, adopt air freight to third countries (e.g., Southeast Asia, Middle East) for transshipment, then transfer via maritime routes to the US, balancing speed and cost.
- Near-Ocean Shipping Route Development
- Southeast Asia Transshipment Hubs: Utilize ports in Singapore and Malaysia as hubs to distribute goods to the US West or East Coast, reducing reliance on direct services.
- South America Connectivity: Explore "China-South America-US" transshipment options, leveraging South American ports' advantages in connecting to the US East Coast to lower costs.
- Supply Chain Finance and Insurance Services
- Tariff Advances and Financing: Provide tariff advances for SMEs to alleviate cash flow pressures; partner with financial institutions to launch supply chain financing products to reduce clients’ capital costs.
- Tariff Insurance: Offer tariff risk coverage products to mitigate additional costs arising from policy changes, enhancing clients’ risk resilience.
- Digital Platforms and Intelligent Planning
- Route Optimization: Leverage AI algorithms and real-time data to recommend optimal transport routes, dynamically adjusting shipment paths.
- End-to-End Visibility: Enable real-time cargo tracking via IoT technologies, enhancing supply chain transparency and reducing waste from information asymmetry.
Amid Trump’s tariff hikes, freight forwarders must prioritize client needs by integrating multimodal transport, near-ocean shipping, supply chain finance, and digital services to reduce transportation costs and boost market competitiveness.
