by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

The trade agreement reached between the US and China is set to take effect on November 10, suspending port fees on both sides and adjusting tariffs on Chinese goods.

In exchange, China will withdraw measures previously enacted in response to the US tariffs. This includes extending China’s tariff exclusion process for imports from the United States, now set to continue until 31 December 2026.

During this suspension period, the United States and China will engage in negotiations on maritime issues, according to the notice from the White House.

Industry analysts suggest that the trade truce may provide temporary relief, allowing operators to plan with greater certainty. However, they caution that, given the current geopolitical environment, abrupt changes remain possible.

Emily Stausbøll, senior shipping analyst at Xeneta, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Once again we see trade used as a weapon in geopolitical wars,” and noted, “US Trade Representative port fees have been paused without any progress being made on the issue that was nominally cited as the reason they were needed – strengthening US shipbuilding.”

Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation (NRF) anticipates a short-term increase in imports following the agreement.

However, the NRF believes retailers are cautious when it comes to making supply chain decisions for spring and summer imports in 2026.

The Journal of Commerce (JOC) cites Jonathan Gold, NRF’s vice president of supply chain and customs policy, as saying, “The challenge for retailers is there’s still so much uncertainty about what’s going to come out and when it’s going to come out."

On the other hand, some importers report that their supply chain strategies remain unchanged.

A national furniture retailer told the JOC that logistics and sourcing plans for 2025 were established earlier in the year and have not been altered.