The uncertainty caused by U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on countries around the world may be proving more disruptive than the tariffs themselves, when it comes to U.S. imports and freight volumes, reports James Menzies from Tucknews.com.
“Beyond just the effect of tariffs themselves, it’s also the uncertainty of what these tariffs are going to look like,” said Joseph Towers, senior analyst, rail and intermodal for FTR. He was speaking during a Key Issues in Transportation webinar by FTR.“It makes it very difficult for businesses to make decisions. Do I make an investment? Do I buy a new piece of equipment? Do I launch a new product? Do I change the way that I source my products? So, those are still very much looming questions that still cast a shadow on the trade environment.”
But surprisingly, U.S. import volumes haven’t been greatly affected by Trump’s tariff policy. While there was a pull-forward of imports before the tariffs took effect, followed by a steep drop, Towers noted overall imports from Asia haven’t been severely impacted.
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