US Freight Industry Hopes for Back-to-School Demand Boost After Tariff Truce

A 90-day trade thaw between Washington and Beijing could prove to be a welcome reprieve for the U.S. freight industry, as importers rush to lock in shipments ahead of the busy back-to-school period, experts said.

The $906 billion U.S. trucking industry, in particular, has been facing a nearly three-year-long slowdown due to overcapacity, which was worsened by President Donald Trump's recent tariffs on the country's largest trading partners.

But an agreement on Monday between the world's two largest economies to slash tariffs for at least 90 days, coupled with the White House's deal with the UK and ongoing negotiations with other trade partners, have shifted expectations from fears of low freight activity to a potential import surge ahead of the peak shopping season starting late July.

While most transportation companies have lowered their second-quarter or full-year earnings guidance due to sweeping tariffs and weak consumer sentiment, "there is now a scenario where Q2 forecasts may be beatable," Evercore ISI analyst Jonathan Chappell said.

German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd CEO Rolf Jansen said on Wednesday the company's bookings were up 50% week-on-week for U.S.-China traffic, and that the carrier was deploying ships of different sizes to meet demand.

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