Mike Short says US tariff shift will barely change supply‑chain decisions

Mike Short, president of Global Freight Forwarding at C.H. Robinson, explained that the United States is replacing the temporary Section 122 tariffs – a 10 % duty applied for the past 150 days – with a new set of Section 301 tariffs. The new duties are linked to forced‑labor supply‑chain checks and are generally at the same level, or only slightly higher, than the previous rates.

Short expects the change to have little effect on overall transport volumes or trade flows. Most importers who paid the Section 122 duties will continue to face similar charges under Section 301. Only a limited number of companies may encounter new country‑ or product‑specific exceptions that could create modest opportunities or additional costs. He advises clients to review product classifications, update cost‑model assumptions, and postpone major sourcing or logistics decisions until the impact of the new legal framework is fully understood.

C.H. Robinson, a leading provider of AI‑enabled supply‑chain services, emphasizes that its customers have been operating under higher‑tariff environments for some time, so the legal shift alone is not expected to drive significant changes in procurement or transport strategies.