U.S. retailers rush holiday imports from China ahead of tariff hikes

U.S. retailers have moved holiday merchandise out of China four to six weeks earlier than normal, trying to get Black Friday and Christmas goods into warehouses before tariff hikes hit later this year. The rush is already showing up in freight lanes, where stronger May and June volumes have tightened space on the China-to-U.S. route and pushed shipping prices higher.

The pull forward marks a sharp break from the usual retail import cycle, which typically builds from July through September. This year, orders for back-to-school goods such as stationery and apparel, along with early Christmas stockpiles, were already landing in force by late spring. Some importers also accelerated shipments tied to the World Cup, including jerseys, flags, souvenirs and large-screen TVs, as companies tried to beat an increase in duties.

Descartes’ June shipping report put U.S. container imports at 2,428,758 TEUs in May 2026, up 6.6% from April. U.S.-bound shipments from China rose about 35.4% from a year earlier, the fastest growth since March 2021, as the seasonal peak arrived earlier than usual. Tony Meng of XPD Global: “Everyone is rushing to get goods in before tariff levels rise again.”

A universal 10% duty imposed by the White House took effect on February 24, 2026, and is scheduled to expire on July 24. Importers are bracing for that levy to be replaced by higher duties, while the U.S. Trade Representative has proposed tariffs of 10% to 12.5% in forced-labor investigations. On March 12, the office initiated 60 such investigations tied to imports produced with forced labor. Beijing denied the allegations.

Some ocean lines imposed peak season surcharges of $500 to $1,000 per FEU effective June 1. Donald Trump’s May trip to China was the first visit by a U.S. president to the People’s Republic of China since 2017 and briefly steadied relations.