Love Thy Neighbor?

In this week’s Roar: US inbound container imports in freefall, the unraveling USMCA, the cost of delays at the Strait of Hormuz, tariff refund progress, and vulnerability to cyberattacks in the industry.

The impacts of the trade war grind on. U.S.-bound containerized imports fell 5.2% year-on-year in April, making this the 12th consecutive month of decline. S&P Global reports a drop in metals, capital goods, and auto parts, although there are gains in U.S. manufacturing orders, and consumer goods are expected to improve in Q3.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamison Greer has said the U.S. will maintain tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, signaling that the USMCA won’t remain a tariff-free pact. He cited a need to lower trade deficits and resolve significant issues with Canada. But there is optimism. Greer said, “Ultimately, at the end of the day, frankly, for national security regions, I ​want to have our supply chain sourced from this hemisphere, right from North America.”

Ongoing delays at the Strait of Hormuz have begun to cause significant downstream production losses as unpredictable transit times continue to disrupt factory schedules far beyond the region. The issue isn’t just higher fuel and outright shortages. Timing unpredictability is causing the most damage, forcing plant shutdowns, missed delivery windows, and insurance disputes. The impact of this cascade of delays highlights vulnerabilities across global supply chains and underscores the immediate need for greater timing resilience in logistics planning.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is slowly processing up to $85 billion in tariff refunds after the Supreme Court ruled that certain tariffs were illegal. As of May 22, $20.6 billion in certified refunds with interest have been completed, meaning many importers and companies are still waiting for their disbursements. Some major companies, such as Ford and GM, are already factoring expected refunds into their financial plans.

Supply chains are growing more complex and more reliant on technology, and in tandem, they’re becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks such as ransomware and supply chain breaches. High-profile incidents, like an attack on Maersk and the recent strikes against UK retailers and manufacturers, are clear evidence that supply chain leaders need to invest in robust cybersecurity, risk management, and ongoing incident response planning so they can ensure operational resilience

For the rest of the week’s top shipping news, check out the article highlights below.