Key dishes to remember
- The number of ships carrying goods from China to the United States has “collapsed” in recent weeks, according to Apollo’s chief economist, Torsten Sløk.
- Without intervention, Americans can see empty shelves in a few weeks, he said, adding that inflation would go up.
- Stores can have shortages of toys, furniture and clothing, since China is a large supplier of these goods, according to government import data.
The shelves, alleys and American racks could be empty in a few weeks because imports are slow, according to the analysis by Apollo Global Management of shipping data.
The number of ships leaving China for the United States is to “collapse,” wrote the chief economist of the asset management company on Friday, Torsten Sløk. If traffic remains depressed, the Americans could soon face the shortages of articles commonly from China, which could increase higher prices, he said.
Trade policies in progress and rapidly evolving could have a particularly dramatic impact on toys, clothing and furniture. Some $ 41 billion in toys, games and sports equipment were imported in 2024, and goods from China represented more than 70% of this, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
“The consequence will be empty shelves in American stores in a few weeks and core shortages,” said Sløk. “In addition, we will soon start to see higher inflation.”
The number of ships with dry products from China daily was nearly 70 in mid-March, but fell to around 50, depending on the 15-day rolling medium-sized by Sløk. Their typical charge also seems to have decreased, he said.
The drop occurs after the United States has imposed a rate of 145% on imports from China. Under this tax and prices on specific products, Chinese products could be subject to prices up to 245%, according to the White House.
More than a third of the pieces of shoes and imported shoes, by value, and more than one fifth of knit or hook clothes, by value, came from China that year, according to government data. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, more than a quarter of the value of furniture, lamps and similar goods imported from China, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.
President Donald Trump’s administration recently expressed his desire to conclude a trade agreement with China. The secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, described the level of prices on goods negotiated between the countries of “unsustainable”.
