Trump Blocked America’s Front Door to China. Now He’s Closing Back Doors.

With the rates that President Trump presented on Wednesday, he is not only closing the American entrance door to Chinese exports – he is also closing the rear doors.

Him It now has the cloaks that are piled up For a total of 54 percent on goods that come directly from China, as well as rates up to 25 percent which has imposed many imports from China during its first term. More significantly, his Latest actions Attempt to cut a series of alternative paths for Chinese goods to reach American shelves and families.

Since Trump began to impose rates from China seven years ago, many Chinese companies have paid billions of dollars in the construction of industrial parks in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Mexico. In turn, these structures have imported components from China, assembling them in finished products and send them to the United States.

But Mr. Trump hit Mexico with extra rates at the beginning of this year and this week announced up to 49 % on the Chinese partner countries Also in the South -East Asia.

“It is a targeted effort to seal the doors for Chinese access to the US market,” said Dan Wang, Chinese director of the Singapore Office of the Auraia Group, a consultancy company. “The result are permanently higher import costs from China, directly or through third countries.”

Trump also announced on Wednesday that starting from May 2, the United States would begin to collect rates on over $ 60 billion a year in so -called Imports de minimis From China that are exempt from the rates now because each shipment is less than $ 800. That move will add steep taxes to the cost of the packages ordered Services like Shein and Temu.

The rates of Mr. Trump are so steep for the countries of Trasbordo such as Vietnam and Cambodia that they could push companies to reconsider China, businessmen and analysts. While the countries in the South -Ast Asia offer lower wages than China, savings on work costs are often compensated by much higher costs for materials such as steel and plastic and for components such as electronics, almost all imported from China.

China also benefits from many of the most automated ports in the world, new airports and a vast network of fluid highways up to 12 lanes in width. Alternative supply countries in the South -Ast Asia have overloaded ports, crowded airports and pots, which can lead to long and expensive delays in shipments and quality problems.

“If no nation can escape rates, I wonder if the global supply chains will gravitate to China, where the production economy is too attractive,” said Han Shen Lin, national Chinese director for the Asian group, a consultancy company.

Trump announced Extra Rates 49 percent in Cambodia, 46 % in Vietnam, 37 % on Thailand and 24 % in Malaysia.

The exception between the so -called Backdoor countries is Mexico, to whom Trump is giving a special treatment, without extra rates on Wednesday.

Mexico now acquires goods for a value of $ 11 from China for each $ 1 that sells in China. Such a commercial imbalance would cause concerns in many countries on jobs losses. But the impregnated imports from China have not triggered these concerns in Mexico because most of the extra goods are assembled in industrial parks in northern Mexico for re -export to the United States.

Signor Trump evidently did not put further rates on Thursday on the goods from Mexico. He had imposed 25 % rates at the beginning of this year on imports from Mexico, but then canceled the goods that mainly have components in North America.

The net result of this initial imposition and partial removal was that the United States now impose 25 % rates mainly on products that come from Mexico with a high altitude of Chinese content.

The United States and Mexico conducted interviews that Mexico could soon raise its rates on all the countries with which they do not have free trade agreements, said two people who are familiar with the interviews that are not authorized to comment on them. This approach would respect the rules of the organization of world trade, which Mexico is still following as the Trump administration no.

Mexico has free trade agreements with about 50 countries, but not with China, India or Brazil.

If Mexico raises rates on countries with which it has no free trade agreements, but not with the United States and other countries with which it has such pacts, the effect would be that of Binds the economy of Mexico most closely to the United States. The rates would have maintained the goods transmitted by China, but the management of the duty-free started with the North American free trade agreement three decades ago would have been preserved.