According to a report on April 25 by the Wall Street Journal, Torsten Slok, the chief economist of Apollo Global Management, warned in a report that due to the rapid reduction of trade between the United States and China, American consumers and businesses may face supply shortages similar to those during the pandemic in the coming weeks. Shelves in American stores may become empty. This report cited daily data on container ships departing from China, predicting that as China is the main supplier of many goods for the U.S., inflation in America will soon increase. Slok also stated that there is a high possibility of job losses in the U.S., which poses a significant threat to the American economy. He reminded: "In May, we will begin to see large-scale layoffs in trucking, logistics, and retail sectors. Small businesses such as private toy stores, private hardware stores, and private men's clothing stores are particularly affected." On April 21, several American retailers including Target, Walmart, and Home Depot issued a severe warning to President Trump, stating that American tariffs would disrupt supply chains and drive up prices. These retailers expect price increases soon. They also told Trump that some products would start to be in short supply in early May. Home Depot said in a statement: "For some time, retailers have been trying to mitigate the impact of tariffs, including pre-stocking where possible." The Wall Street Journal reported that after Trump won the election in November last year, many American companies began hoarding goods at the end of the year. According to the latest trade statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. imports surged starting in December and soared to a record high in January, breaking through $300 billion for the first time in history. From December to February, the total value of U.S. commodity imports increased from $791 billion last year to $951 billion this year, a growth of 20%. Before the full implementation of Trump's tariffs, U.S. importers continued to purchase heavily in March and April. The Wall Street Journal analysis suggested that these precautionary measures might help retailers and other American companies weather the storm for a few months. However, considering the insatiable demand Americans have for cheap foreign imports, even with "preparation," the supply of goods probably won't last long. The report found that U.S. imports seem set to plummet sharply. About one-third of U.S. cargo imports pass through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. These two ports reported that their imports increased by 56% compared to the same period last week. The Wall Street Journal said this reflects the final flourishing of U.S. imports before the full implementation of tariffs. It is expected that the number of ships arriving in the next two weeks will drop sharply, with import volumes expected to fall by 11% and 33% respectively year-on-year. Experts said the situation may worsen further. Hapag-Lloyd, a major shipping company, said in a statement that since early April, the volume of container orders sent from China to the U.S. has decreased by about one-third. The impact of the trade war is likely to appear first in the toy industry. According to industry and government statistics, up to 80% of toys sold in the U.S. are made in China. Other American industries such as consumer electronics, apparel, and pharmaceuticals also heavily rely on China. Last year, the U.S. imported $439 billion worth of goods from China, much of which cannot be replaced by other countries in the short term. Analysts said that even if the U.S. significantly reduces tariffs, problems may persist for some time. On one hand, ships need a month or more to reach U.S. ports. Subsequently, it takes several weeks for goods to be transported to other parts of the U.S. by rail or truck. Therefore, any shortage may take time to resolve. American consumer prices will not fall immediately. This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission. Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7497436658258723366/ Disclaimer: The article solely represents the author's views. Please express your opinion by voting under the "Like/Dislike" buttons below.