U.S. retailers are speeding up their orders from China, moving up orders by four to six weeks to secure inventories for Black Friday and Christmas holiday sales before expected tariff hikes later this year, shipping executives said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China last month has preserved the detente between the world's two largest powers, but uncertainty remains high.
A universal 10% U.S. tariff imposed by Washington in February, after the Supreme Court declared some earlier tariffs illegal, expires on July 24, but it is widely expected to be replaced with higher levies.
The U.S. Trade Representative has proposed a 12.5% tariff on imports from China and elsewhere following an investigation into forced labor, which Beijing denies, with a final decision expected in the coming months.
"There is an expectation that tariffs could be raised again, or restored to previous levels, so everyone is rushing to get goods in before that happens," said Tony Meng, a China-based senior sales manager at shipping firm XPD Global.
