[By Guancha Observer Network, Qi Qian] President Trump has unilaterally imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese goods, seriously affecting the American supply chain and consumers' lives. Currently, various industries across the United States are issuing warnings, indicating that freight volumes at ports nationwide are about to collapse, and shelves will soon be empty.

Interestingly, a media investigation found that thieves are launching a "massive assault" on America's consumer goods supply chain.

According to a May 9 report by CNBC, cases of cargo theft in the U.S. have surged recently. Organized criminal groups are attacking trucks, breaking into warehouses, and stealing everyday items such as food, clothing, electronics, etc. The report states that these thieves are now attacking the U.S. supply chain at an "alarming rate."

The report reveals that after six months of investigation and interviews, it was discovered that organized criminal groups are carrying out a series of cargo theft cases across the country.

In 2024, the industry tracking institution Verisk CargoNet recorded 3,798 incidents of cargo theft, with total losses approaching $455 million. The institution stated that criminal groups attempting to disrupt the U.S. supply chain were traced back to 32 countries.

Industry experts told CNBC that due to many cases not being reported, this number may be lower than the actual loss. Many interviewed experts estimate that the U.S. loses nearly $1 billion or more annually due to cargo theft.

American transportation supply chain safety and risk management company Overhaul estimates that cargo theft incidents will increase by 22% in 2025.

Thieves caught robbing a delivery truck in California, according to CNBC.

According to the Verisk CargoNet report, food, beverages, household goods, and electronics are the main targets.

"Food is consumable, and evidence will disappear quickly," noted Scott Cornell, national transportation business leader at Travelers Insurance Company. "It’s hard to trace. If you're a cargo theft investigator trying to conduct recovery investigations, evidence will be consumed, right? Or damaged. After all, pistachios don’t have barcodes," he said.

The report states that according to police and court records, Nike sneakers are the favorites of cargo thieves. A senior executive from Philips Consumer Lifestyle (including electric toothbrushes and razors) said that the problem has "significantly increased" recently.

In February this year, the California Highway Patrol intercepted a cargo theft plan. At that time, officers discovered five boxes containing Lacoste flip-flops. In May last year, a break-in occurred at a distribution center for Lululemon in Ontario, California, where thieves stole over $1 million worth of Lululemon products.

CNBC pointed out that the above cases are typical examples of the surge in U.S. cargo theft. According to analysis, the U.S. crime network is using technology aimed at improving supply chain efficiency to steal large quantities of products. By infiltrating and tracking logistics networks, criminals can directly target specific locations for theft or robbery, or use forged invoices to impersonate legitimate company employees and divert goods.

Keith Lewis, vice president of Verisk CargoNet, said that this widespread theft behavior poses "low risks but high returns."

"These people cannot be deterred," said Jerry Jacobs, risk management director of American logistics company Prosponsive Logistics. As criminals, "you hide abroad, and all you need is a phone and a computer to carry out this fraud."

Jacobs told CNBC that he is actively dealing with a fraud case. He said that criminals had stolen his company's identity, booked goods, and attempted to persuade a legitimate freight forwarding company to pick up the shipment and unknowingly transport the goods. He warned that such crimes will also come at a cost to ordinary consumers because cargo theft leads to retail price increases.

Barry Conlon, founder and CEO of Overhaul, noted that criminal organizations are very familiar with the way goods are transported within the U.S. "They send people to scrape information from websites. Once they see the desired products, they launch attacks at selected locations. And within just a few days, these products enter the supply chain."

Meanwhile, nationwide cargo transportation companies are struggling to address the increase in theft cases. In response to the surge in cargo theft cases, several bipartisan members of Congress proposed a bipartisan bill called the "Combating Organized Retail Crime Act" in April this year. This bill would establish a coordination center within the Department of Homeland Security to combat cargo theft and organized retail crime. However, to date, the legislation remains unresolved.

Los Angeles Port sees halved imports from China, video screenshot.

While various industries in the U.S. are concerned about the rise in cargo theft cases, the American consumer goods supply chain is facing a major crisis.

After taking office, Trump ignited trade wars worldwide and announced a 145% tariff on imported goods from China. The "small exemption" policy for Hong Kong and mainland China expired on May 2. Chinese ships have also become a "thorn in the eye" for the Trump administration and will be subject to high fees.

Axios cited analysis stating that Trump's tariff policies have caused a slowdown in freight volumes at important shipping hubs in the U.S., which could lead to an economic recession and disruption of the supply chain, ultimately impacting domestic transportation and warehousing, employment, and the prices and availability of goods on store shelves.

On May 6, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, told CNN during an interview that the first batch of 145% tariff-bearing Chinese cargo ships had arrived at the Port of Los Angeles in recent days, filled with consumer goods. He pointed out that the volume of goods imported from China has fallen by more than 50%, while warning that "the prices of these products have surged approximately two and a half times compared to last month."

At the same time, Americans continue to purchase previously stored goods in U.S. warehouses. However, CNN reminded that these inventories are starting to run out.

Seroka predicted that American consumers' choices will significantly decrease. He said, "Global 90% of trade is completed by sea. At the Port of Los Angeles, we have about 45% of our business related to China, including furniture, electronics, appliances, clothing, and shoes... These tariffs will eventually be reflected in the cost structure of goods and borne by American consumers."

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7502818458145669682/

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