When the US–China tariff truce news came through last month, I spent the afternoon on the phone
- James Ryan
- Jun 3
- 1 min read
When the US–Ch
ina tariff truce news came through last month, I spent the afternoon on the phone telling customers more or less the same thing: let's finish your orders and get them on the water now, not in six weeks.
The reasoning was pretty boring. A truce means everyone front-loads. Front-loading spikes demand. And carriers don't sit still for that — blank sailings, rate increases stacked ahead of peak season. The capacity doesn't really vanish. It gets pulled on purpose.
So we moved production schedules up where the factory could absorb it. A couple of customers had containers out before the June increases landed. They didn't pay the bump.
I won't pretend I called the numbers — I didn't, and anyone who says they did is guessing. But you don't need a forecast to read the shape of it. Truce, rush, squeeze. Sometimes the useful thing a supplier does isn't on the spec sheet. It's a phone call in the right week.
Goods are on the water now. The increases came a few weeks later. Timing, a bit of luck, mostly just paying attention.
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