In 2025, the Trump administration continued to implement its “America First” trade policy by imposing high tariffs on Chinese goods, leading to total tariff rates ranging from 54% to 125% on Chinese exports to the United States. This policy not only increased the costs for Chinese export enterprises but also posed unprecedented challenges to freight forwarders. Against this backdrop, how freight forwarders can optimize transportation services to help clients reduce transportation costs has become a focus of the industry.
Trump’s tariff policies have significantly increased the costs of Chinese goods exported to the United States, prompting some clients to demand optimized logistics solutions from freight forwarders to reduce costs. Meanwhile, U.S. customs have tightened scrutiny on imported goods, making the clearance process more complex. Freight forwarders now require stronger compliance capabilities and clearance experience. Additionally, to avoid high tariffs, some enterprises have adjusted their supply chain strategies, such as transit trade and overseas warehousing, necessitating freight forwarders to provide diversified logistics solutions.
In response to high tariffs, freight forwarders should offer diversified transportation solutions to meet different client needs. For example, for high-tariff goods, a “Southeast Asia transit + U.S. local delivery” model can be adopted, where goods are transited through Southeast Asian countries to circumvent some tariffs and reduce overall logistics costs. Freight forwarders should also integrate sea, air, rail, and overseas warehousing resources to provide clients with the optimal transportation solutions.
Freight forwarders need to strengthen compliant operations to reduce inspection rates and ensure rapid customs clearance. This requires freight forwarders to possess professional clearance capabilities, be familiar with U.S. customs regulations, and help clients make reasonable declarations and optimize HS codes to reduce tariff expenditures. For instance, Jumei Cross-Border Logistics leverages its experienced clearance experts and extensive industry experience to provide clients with efficient and low-cost cross-border logistics solutions.
Freight forwarders should introduce intelligent logistics tracking systems, allowing clients to monitor goods’ real-time dynamics, reducing delays caused by tariffs or clearance issues, and enhancing supply chain stability. Through intelligent management, freight forwarders can also optimize transportation routes, improve vehicle utilization rates, and reduce cargo damage, thereby lowering transportation costs.
Freight forwarders can provide one-stop logistics services through supply chain integration. This involves establishing close cooperation with suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors to achieve information sharing and collaborative operations, reducing overall logistics costs. For example, freight forwarders can assist clients in setting up overseas warehouses in suitable locations and implementing intelligent management through advanced inventory management systems to ensure inventory levels meet market demands without overstocking.
Taking Jumei Cross-Border Logistics as an example, the company has successfully helped clients reduce transportation costs through its professional clearance capabilities, diversified transportation solutions, and digital management. Facing challenges posed by U.S. tariff policies, Jumei Cross-Border Logistics integrates sea, air, rail, and overseas warehousing resources to provide clients with the optimal transportation solutions. Its intelligent logistics tracking system also enables clients to monitor goods’ real-time dynamics, enhancing supply chain stability.
Trump’s tariff policies have posed severe challenges to the freight forwarding industry but also prompted enterprises to optimize logistics models and enhance service capabilities. Freight forwarders should adopt strategies such as diversified transportation solutions, compliant operations, intelligent management, and supply chain integration to help clients reduce transportation costs and improve competitiveness. In the future, with changes in the international trade environment, selecting efficient and compliant cross-border logistics service providers will become key for enterprises to reduce costs and increase efficiency.
