Supply Chain Research

Improving U.S.-China trade relations have reduced the likelihood of U.S. laptop computer imports becoming subject to tariffs from mid-December. That may accelerate the decline in imports seen in August which was linked to the earlier delay in the application of duties on the products that had been scheduled for September. U.S. imports of laptops fell by 4.0% in August after an inventory-building 21.4% surge in the prior three months – a similar pattern has been seen in phone imports. The drop in laptop imports likely continued in September – seaborne imports slumped by 41.1% year over ye...