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Since last night, anyway. The people who make shipping work are frantically trying to keep up. One of the biggest customs brokers posts updates twice a day on w

Since last night, anyway. The people who make shipping work are frantically trying to keep up. One of the biggest customs brokers posts updates twice a day on weekdays. Last update 4 PM Friday, so they haven't caught the biggest reversal. If tariff rates change while in transit, the bond paid before the item was shipped may now be insufficient. So the container goes into storage (where?) until Customs and Border Protection gets paid. Some recipients don't have the cash to pay. Low-end resellers who order on Alibaba and sell on Amazon, for example. Port operators hate this. Unwanted containers clog up the portside sorting and storage systems. Eventually the containers are either sent back or auctioned off by CBP, like this stuff.[1] Some shippers outside the US have stopped shipping to the US until this settles. This includes all the major laptop makers - Lenovo, Acer, Dell, etc.[2] Nobody wants to be caught with a container in transit, a big customs bill due on receipt, and storage charges. That will recover once the rates are stable for a few weeks. Probably. Customs and Border Protection is trying to keep up. Sometimes you have to pay more because Trump raised tariffs. Sometimes you can get a credit back because Trump dropped tariffs. Those are all exception transactions, with extra paperwork and delays. Where's the Flexport guy from YC? He should be able to explain all this. Consumer version: expect to see some empty shelves, rejected orders, and higher prices for the next few weeks. [1] https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/auctions/catalog/id/167 https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/auctions/catalog/id/167 [2] https://www.techspot.com/news/107504-trump-tariffs-force-major-laptop-makers-halt-us.html https://www.techspot.com/news/107504-trump-tariffs-force-maj...

TeaBrain 2y ago
Ryan Petersen was on the Bloomberg Odd Lots podcast a few days ago.
- Animats 2y ago
  Nice. Not much optimism for domestic manufacturing or US exports.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
re-thc 2y ago
> Consumer version: expect to see some empty shelves, rejected orders, and higher prices for the next few weeks. Make that the next few years at this rate. > Customs and Border Protection is trying to keep up. There are still people there? DOGE hasn't hit them up?
- Doches 2y ago
  Why would they? If there’s one agency that’s spiritually aligned with DOGE — in terms of incompetence, malice, and sheer cruelty — it’s ICE/CBP.
Eavolution 2y ago
Hang on are tarriffs not effective on date of purchase? I'm not American but it seems madness to apply them at any other time as then no one knows what will actually need paid if you've someone like Trump changing them frequently.
- Eddy_Viscosity2 2y ago
  The infrastructure for handling all the tarrif payments and rebates etc simply can't change as fast as these announcements and as a result there will be a whole mass of incorrect charges being applied or not applied that could takes years to sort through. The chaos is the point, or so it would seem.
- nikanj 2y ago
  They are effective on the day of passing customs to the US
- Aurornis 2y ago
  Applied at time of passing through customs. More typical policy would give 90 days notice so businesses could plan ahead. This policy was implemented far too fast with far too high of numbers and now it’s also changing rapidly. It doesn’t make sense. > I'm not American but it seems madness to apply them at any other time I’m American and I fully agree it’s madness. This administration clearly doesn’t understand or even care how businesses work. They just thought this was going to be a chest-thumping bargaining chip that caused other countries to come begging at the negotiation table. It’s not working and now they’re panicking. They don’t want to look weak by backing down so we’re suffering.
  - thfuran 2y ago
    Trump has been spouting the same shit about trade deficits and the US getting ripped off for several decades. I think he legitimately believes high tariffs are a good idea to "fix" trade deficits.
    - erkt 2y ago
Y_Y 2y ago
https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/lot/5061/Medical-Supplies-San-Diego-CA?url=%2Fauctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F167 https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/l... I love that I can buy a pallet of miscellaneous medical supplies, and also that someone who specifically wanted them but now can't pay for them has to go without.
- erkt 2y ago
  The point is to inflict cost to create incentive for domestic production. Obviously the inconsistency on tariffs undermines this position but the pandemic made it very clear that there are domestic security implications for not having important products produced state side. Its not like the $500 cost of a saline bag has anything to do with its production cost. It seems credit liquidity and confidence in long term protectionism are needed for this scheme to work. This requires unity, which we lack.
  - SpicyLemonZest 2y ago
    As you say, the inconsistency on tariffs completely undermines this position, because it's widely known that tariffs which change radically from day to day don't incentivize domestic production (and indeed disincentivize all domestic investment). Doesn't this prove that creating incentives for domestic production is not the point, and either there's no clever scheme or the real goal of the scheme is something else?
  - pstuart 2y ago
    The point is to replace income taxes with tariffs. Domestic production is "desired" but this is not how to rebuild domestic production capability.
    - Supermancho 2y ago
      > Domestic production is "desired" but this is not how to rebuild domestic production capability No need to be handwavy. It can be part of a strategy. A painful and ultimately less effective way than another, sure. There will be a lot of factors at play beyond these controls. This administration lacks the ability to focus for very long in any competent sense. I'm not sure there is a strategy that will work, at this time.
ashoeafoot 2y ago
So does the trump tarif noise average out to something you can plan with ?
- __s 2y ago
  No
bayindirh 2y ago
Somebody lost a ton of Bitcoin miner system motherboards [0][1]. [0]: https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/lot/5074/Motherboards-Carson-CA https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/l..., https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/lot/5075/Motherboards-Carson-CA https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/l..., https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/lot/5076/Motherboards-Carson-CA https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/l... [1]: https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=1009 https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=1...
- beeflet 2y ago
  Bitcoin miners tend to be ASICs nowadays. Based on the PCIe lanes I would assume that is for some GPU-mining mobo for equihash or scrypt
  - bayindirh 2y ago
    I can guess, but I'm just echoing what's on the box, or what Biostar says. :)
Animats 2y ago
Update: Possible pending reversal today (Sunday) on temporary exemption to emergency China tariff for computers and smartphones.[1][2] Trump and the Secretary of Commerce are saying different things on social media. Trump says he will look at the "whole electronic supply chain." The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are trying to keep up with the announcements. [1] https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-trump-tariffs-trade-war-04-14-25 https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-trump-tariffs-... [2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-13/trump-says-looking-at-tariffs-on-chips-electronics-supply-chain https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-13/trump-say...

TeaBrain 2y ago

Ryan Petersen was on the Bloomberg Odd Lots podcast a few days ago.

Animats 2y ago
Nice. Not much optimism for domestic manufacturing or US exports.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

re-thc 2y ago

> Consumer version: expect to see some empty shelves, rejected orders, and higher prices for the next few weeks. Make that the next few years at this rate. > Customs and Border Protection is trying to keep up. There are still people there? DOGE hasn't hit them up?

Doches 2y ago
Why would they? If there’s one agency that’s spiritually aligned with DOGE — in terms of incompetence, malice, and sheer cruelty — it’s ICE/CBP.

Eavolution 2y ago

Hang on are tarriffs not effective on date of purchase? I'm not American but it seems madness to apply them at any other time as then no one knows what will actually need paid if you've someone like Trump changing them frequently.

Eddy_Viscosity2 2y ago
The infrastructure for handling all the tarrif payments and rebates etc simply can't change as fast as these announcements and as a result there will be a whole mass of incorrect charges being applied or not applied that could takes years to sort through. The chaos is the point, or so it would seem.
nikanj 2y ago
They are effective on the day of passing customs to the US
Aurornis 2y ago
Applied at time of passing through customs. More typical policy would give 90 days notice so businesses could plan ahead. This policy was implemented far too fast with far too high of numbers and now it’s also changing rapidly. It doesn’t make sense. > I'm not American but it seems madness to apply them at any other time I’m American and I fully agree it’s madness. This administration clearly doesn’t understand or even care how businesses work. They just thought this was going to be a chest-thumping bargaining chip that caused other countries to come begging at the negotiation table. It’s not working and now they’re panicking. They don’t want to look weak by backing down so we’re suffering.
- thfuran 2y ago
  Trump has been spouting the same shit about trade deficits and the US getting ripped off for several decades. I think he legitimately believes high tariffs are a good idea to "fix" trade deficits.
  - erkt 2y ago

Y_Y 2y ago

https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/lot/5061/Medical-Supplies-San-Diego-CA?url=%2Fauctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F167 https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/l... I love that I can buy a pallet of miscellaneous medical supplies, and also that someone who specifically wanted them but now can't pay for them has to go without.

erkt 2y ago
The point is to inflict cost to create incentive for domestic production. Obviously the inconsistency on tariffs undermines this position but the pandemic made it very clear that there are domestic security implications for not having important products produced state side. Its not like the $500 cost of a saline bag has anything to do with its production cost. It seems credit liquidity and confidence in long term protectionism are needed for this scheme to work. This requires unity, which we lack.
- SpicyLemonZest 2y ago
  As you say, the inconsistency on tariffs completely undermines this position, because it's widely known that tariffs which change radically from day to day don't incentivize domestic production (and indeed disincentivize all domestic investment). Doesn't this prove that creating incentives for domestic production is not the point, and either there's no clever scheme or the real goal of the scheme is something else?
- pstuart 2y ago
  The point is to replace income taxes with tariffs. Domestic production is "desired" but this is not how to rebuild domestic production capability.
  - Supermancho 2y ago
    > Domestic production is "desired" but this is not how to rebuild domestic production capability No need to be handwavy. It can be part of a strategy. A painful and ultimately less effective way than another, sure. There will be a lot of factors at play beyond these controls. This administration lacks the ability to focus for very long in any competent sense. I'm not sure there is a strategy that will work, at this time.

ashoeafoot 2y ago

So does the trump tarif noise average out to something you can plan with ?

__s 2y ago
No

bayindirh 2y ago

Somebody lost a ton of Bitcoin miner system motherboards [0][1]. [0]: https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/lot/5074/Motherboards-Carson-CA https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/l..., https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/lot/5075/Motherboards-Carson-CA https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/l..., https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/lot/5076/Motherboards-Carson-CA https://bid.cwsmarketing.com/lot-details/index/catalog/167/l... [1]: https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=1009 https://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=1...

beeflet 2y ago
Bitcoin miners tend to be ASICs nowadays. Based on the PCIe lanes I would assume that is for some GPU-mining mobo for equihash or scrypt
- bayindirh 2y ago
  I can guess, but I'm just echoing what's on the box, or what Biostar says. :)

Animats 2y ago

Update: Possible pending reversal today (Sunday) on temporary exemption to emergency China tariff for computers and smartphones.[1][2] Trump and the Secretary of Commerce are saying different things on social media. Trump says he will look at the "whole electronic supply chain." The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are trying to keep up with the announcements. [1] https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-trump-tariffs-trade-war-04-14-25 https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-trump-tariffs-... [2] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-13/trump-says-looking-at-tariffs-on-chips-electronics-supply-chain https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-13/trump-say...