Uncover What’s Shaping Trade in 2025
Access the May GCP Trade Report for bold insights and actionable strategies to outpace uncertainty.
Highlights from the Report:
- The 90-day reduction in U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports started on May 14, 2025, and will expire on August 11, 2025.
- On August 12, 2025, the reciprocal part of the duty rate will increase from 10% to 34% unless further agreements are reached between the two nations before then.
- The ISM® Prices Index registered 69.8% in April, indicating raw materials prices increased for the seventh straight month after a decrease in September.
- Natural rubber prices have rebounded from April lows as it recovers from weakling demand factors such as declining oil prices, U.S. tariff polices and major producing countries entering peak harvesting season.
- The global manufacturing sector witnessed a slight acceleration of production growth in April, but the broader picture is a worrisome one. Worldwide business expectations slipped to the lowest since the height of the pandemic on concerns of rising trade barriers.
- U.S. ports processed 2.20 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in April, up 9.1% year-over-year (YOY). May is forecast at 1.81 million TEUs, down 12.9% YOY to end 19 consecutive months of YOY growth.
- U.S. imports from China totaled 804,122 TEUs for the month of April, rising 5.4% from March and 6.2% YOY. China remained the top source of U.S. containerized imports, accounting for over 35% of the total inbound volume.
- Ocean carriers started introducing mid-month GRIs of $1,000 – $3,000/forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU) in May, with similar increases planned for June 1st and 15th.
Learn more about these key issues in the full report linked below.
⏱ Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
📄 Report Length: 3,385 words
