[By Guancha Net, Liu Chenghui]
On the hundredth day of his presidency, Trump finds himself besieged by his tariff policies. On April 28th local time, in a newly released statement, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), which represents dockworkers on the U.S. West Coast, criticized Trump's tariff policy as "reckless," stating that these tariffs are an economic war against the working people, causing severe harm to American workers. Not only do they threaten to disrupt key sectors of the U.S. economy but also turn American workers into direct targets of attack.
Currently, Trump's tariff policies are beginning to impact the broader U.S. economy. Operators of container ports such as the Port of Los Angeles and air freight companies reported that Trump's tariffs severely disrupted supply chains, leading to a significant reduction in goods coming from China. Industry insiders warned that the dual factors of rising prices and declining consumer spending would deliver a "double blow" to the U.S. economy.
ILWU is a union primarily representing dockworkers on the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, and British Columbia, Canada. It was once known as the "aristocracy of labor" because its members earn high wages and hold considerable influence in North America's logistics industry.
According to reports from The Hill, the union harshly criticized Trump's tariffs for harming American workers in their latest statement released on the 28th.
The statement read: "Tariffs are taxes. These and other reckless, short-sighted policies have begun to destroy American workers, damage critical economic sectors, and enrich the super-rich at the expense of hardworking families."
The statement pointed out that these tariffs have created tension between the United States and its allies and represent a "direct attack" on the working class.
"Tens of thousands of jobs depend on or are related to global trade. Restrictions on trade between the world's two largest economies may lead to devastating layoffs among workers in the global supply chain," the statement read.
ILWU emphasized their concern that the cost of everyday essentials for Americans will skyrocket and further exacerbate the housing crisis in the U.S. The union believes these tariffs will become an economic war against working people.
On April 15th, at the Port of Long Beach in California, the container ship "COSCO France" docked at the Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT). Visual China.
The report noted that although the Trump administration has defended its tariff plans, claiming it is a way to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., experts worry that manufacturers will seek alternative locations, ultimately harming U.S. economic growth.
ILWU believes that Trump's administration agenda is not truly "America First" but places American workers last, as tariffs will result in job losses, price increases, and economic instability nationwide.
"It cannot be denied that decades of free trade agreements have had negative impacts on American workers, sacrificing high-paying union-supported jobs in favor of corporate profits. However, this messy and destructive tariff plan has become a clumsy excuse for so-called 'fair trade' policies."
The statement also expressed their demand for a fair trade policy that prioritizes American union workers and reduces taxes for Americans, rather than a policy decided by Trump's whims.
Just before this statement was published, Washington State Democratic Senator Patty Murray met with the union and other local businesses affected by the tariffs.
In a statement, Murray said: "Every morning, small business owners, port dockworkers, warehouse workers, and even every family wake up wondering if today will be the day they have to close shop or lose their jobs. Congress needs to act quickly to terminate these tariffs."
It is worth noting that under the heavy toll of Trump's high tariffs on China, U.S. ports and air transport demand have suffered severe setbacks.
Financial Times of the UK noticed on April 28th that Trump's tariff policies are beginning to affect a wider range of the U.S. economy. Operators of container ports like the Port of Los Angeles and air freight companies reported that Trump's tariffs severely disrupted supply chains, resulting in a significant reduction in goods coming from China. Importers hope to delay shipments or transfer goods to third countries to minimize losses, and shipping companies face cancellations and suspensions of orders.
Data from container tracking service company Vizion showed that as of mid-April, bookings for standard sea freight containers from China to the U.S. were down 45% year-over-year.
Hapag-Lloyd, one of the world's largest container shipping companies, stated that Chinese customers have canceled about 30% of outbound cargo bookings from China. T. S. Lines, a Taiwan-based container shipping company listed in Hong Kong, recently suspended an Asia-to-U.S. West Coast route. A responsible person from the company said, "Demand no longer exists."
Sea-Intelligence, a shipping data analytics firm, reported that there was a wave of "blank sailings" (i.e., cancellations of voyages) from China, with the decline in order volumes being transmitted to arrivals in Los Angeles.
John Denton, Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), said that the turmoil in U.S.-China trade flows reflects traders "delaying decisions." They are watching how quickly the U.S. and China can reach an agreement to reduce tariffs.
Nathan Strang, Director of Ocean Freight at U.S. logistics group Flexport, also noted that companies are waiting for shipments, hoping for an agreement between the U.S. and China to ease the tax burden. Industry executives pointed out that U.S. importers are considering using up existing inventory before importing new goods from China. They also store inventory in bonded warehouses where goods can be stored tax-free, paying duties when withdrawing, or transferring inventory to nearby countries like Canada.
In addition, due to the U.S. government's plan to end tariff exemptions for goods valued below $800, this will put more pressure on the freight industry. Cathay Pacific, which derives about a quarter of its revenue from air freight operations, expects "softening" trends in freight demand between the U.S. and China. Hong Kong-based freight agent Easyway Air Freight reported that after the tariff increase, its freight volume from China to the U.S. plummeted by about 50%.
Knight-Swift Transportation, a trucking company based in Arizona, warned that due to uncertainties brought by tariff threats, expected freight volumes will decrease. CEO Adam Miller complained that some of the company's largest clients "are concerned" that the cost of tariffs will cause freight volumes to continue to decline in May.
John Shea, CEO of online retailer consultancy Momentum Commerce, which aims to help consumer product companies achieve approximately $7 billion in sales annually on Amazon's platform, warned that the dual adverse factors of rising prices and declining consumer spending might create a "double whammy" effect.
"We see evidence that consumers are downgrading their purchases... and meanwhile, prices are quietly rising," he said.
A report by CBS on April 25 revealed that due to rising import costs, nearly 1,000 products on U.S. e-commerce platform Amazon have seen price hikes since April 9th, with an average increase of 29%.
Nikkei Asia cited expert analysis saying that unlike a few large retailers, smaller sellers have much weaker risk-bearing capacity. An American Amazon seller lamented to U.S. media: "These tariffs cannot stay this high forever; too many people won't be able to endure it."
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Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498730271107007016/
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