US reciprocal tariffs' fallout: Supply chains brace for disruption

For context, global sea freight rates had been going down over the past few months due to a previous build up which had caused rates to spike abnormally in 2024

US President Donald Trump’s April 2 reciprocal tariffs have triggered a frenzy in global supply chains, with exporters across the world uncertain about the future. This has also spurred ambivalence among transporters and shippers, who have to plan their logistics months in advance to service global trade.

  Since Trump’s announcement, spot market freight rates from India to the US East Coast have jumped by 10 per cent to nearly $4,000 per 40 feet container (as of April 4), according to Oslo-based analytics firm Xeneta.

  Experts in India and abroad feel while the situation is currently manageable, the next