Fashion
Tariffs drive down US import volumes, NRF warns of economic strain
The forecast comes as tariffs on dozens of countries around the world that had been announced, postponed and then finally enacted after months of negotiations and deals began to take effect this week.
Major US ports’ import volumes in 2025 are forecast to end 5.6 per cent below 2024 as new tariffs bite, according to NRF and Hackett Associates.
July likely surged to 2.3 million TEU on pull-forward, with August–December sharply lower YoY.
H1 2025 rose 3.6 per cent to 12.53 million TEU, but the full-year outlook is 24.1 million TEU, reflecting policy uncertainty and inflated late-2024 comps.
The ports have not yet reported numbers for July, but Global Port Tracker projected that the month surged to 2.3 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEU) as retailers brought in merchandise ahead of this month’s tariffs. That would be the highest number in a year, up 17.3 per cent from June and down just 0.5 per cent YoY, according to the Global Port Tracker report released by the NRF and Hackett Associates.
August is forecast at 2.2 million TEU, down 5 per cent YoY, and September at 1.83 million TEU, down 19.5 per cent YoY. October is forecast at 1.82 million TEU, down 18.9 per cent YoY; and November at 1.71 million TEU, down 21.1 per cent for the lowest total since 1.78 million TEU in April 2023. December is forecast at 1.72 million TEU, down 19.3 per cent YoY.
While the falling aggregate totals in September through December are related to pulling cargo forward during the first half of the year due to tariffs, the large YoY percentage declines are partly because imports in late 2024 were elevated due to concerns about East Coast and Gulf Coast port strikes.
The first half of 2025 totalled 12.53 million TEU, up 3.6 per cent YoY. Volume forecast for the remainder of the year would bring 2025 to a total of 24.1 million TEU, down 5.6 per cent from 25.5 million TEU in 2024, added the report.
US ports covered by Global Port Tracker handled 1.96 million TEU—one 20-foot container or its equivalent—in June, the latest month for which final data is available. That was up 0.7 per cent from May but down 8.4 per cent YoY.
“While this forecast is still preliminary, it shows the impact the tariffs and the administration’s trade policy are having on the supply chain,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president for supply chain and customs policy. “Tariffs are beginning to drive up consumer prices, and fewer imports will eventually mean fewer goods on store shelves. Small businesses especially are grappling with the ability to stay in business. We need binding trade agreements that open markets by lowering tariffs, not raising them. Tariffs are taxes paid by US importers that will result in higher prices for US consumers, less hiring, lower business investment and a slower economy.”
“The hither-and-thither approach of on-again, off-again tariffs that have little to do with trade policy is causing confusion and uncertainty for importers, exporters and consumers,” said Ben Hackett, founder at Hackett Associates. “Friends, allies and foes are all being hit by distortions in trade flows as importers try to second-guess tariff levels by pulling forward imports before the tariffs take effect. This, in turn, will certainly lead to a downturn in trade volumes by late September because inventories for the holiday season will already be in hand. Meanwhile, US exporters are being left with unsold products as counter tariffs are applied.”
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)
China will step up building a higher-level China-Vietnam community with a shared future that carries strategic significance, Chinese President Xi Jinping said while holding talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
China and Vietnam are accelerating efforts to navigate bilateral trade towards a more balanced and sustainable course.
President Xi Jinping recently held talks with visiting Vietnamese President To Lam.
During the visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.
Xi said both countries should work together in their modernisation drive, accelerate the alignment of development strategies and prioritise infrastructure connectivity.
While meeting Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao during the state visit, Vietnamese Minister of Industry and Trade Le Manh Hung called for a restructuring of production, trade and supply chains alongside stronger investment cooperation.
Wang said both sides should focus on implementing the high-level common perceptions, including raising bilateral trade turnover to $500 billion in future.
Hung urged China to expand imports of Vietnamese goods, broaden the list of products eligible for tariff preferences and further open its market. He also called for the mutual recognition of quarantine results for agro-forestry-fishery products, facilitation of Vietnamese exports via cross-border e-commerce, and expansion of Vietnam’s trade promotion offices across Chinese localities, according to a Vietnamese news agency.
China will continue to support Vietnam in setting up additional trade promotion offices, following those already established in Chongqing, Hangzhou and Haikou, Wang responded.
China also expressed readiness to support Vietnam’s stronger exports through cross-border e-commerce, encouraging greater visibility of the Vietnam National Pavilion on Chinese e-commerce platforms beyond JD.com to better promote Vietnamese products to Chinese consumers.
China has consistently been Vietnam’s largest trading partner and second-largest export market, while Vietnam continues to be China’s biggest trading partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
British actors Simone Ashley and Tom Blyth star alongside models Alva Claire, Babacar N’Doye and Sacha Quenby and a cast of synchronised swimmers and divers.
Burberry’s High Summer 2026 campaign captures Britain’s nostalgic lido culture through a sunlit film featuring Simone Ashley and Tom Blyth.
Blending heritage check with pastel tones, the collection spans swimwear, relaxed tailoring, raffia bags and lightweight layers, evoking effortless, poolside summer style.
Directed by Francis Plummer, the campaign reflects a warm, communal British summer mood.
The campaign film is directed by Francis Plummer and shot by photographer Ryan McGinley. The cameras move from loungers to diving boards, catching mid-air dives and friends stretched out in the hazy afternoon light. Before long, the best spots by the pool are claimed with a Burberry towel. Summer has begun. The film is underscored by the TONE remix of ‘Beating’ by Tirzah.
‘A lido holds a particular kind of nostalgia for the British. The moment the sun comes out, we make the most of the weather. We wanted to bring to life a warm summer’s day spent in and around the water’s edge with friends.’ said Daniel Lee Chief Creative Officer, Burberry.
Key styles
The High Summer 2026 collection features the Burberry Check in heritage-inspired sand beige and pastel shades of aubergine purple and cornflower blue.
The iconic Burberry Check bikini is the beach essential, alongside matching swimsuits and men’s swim shorts trimmed with check.
Poolside separates include tops, skirts and shirts cut from cotton voile, plus cover-up dresses woven with a tonal Burberry Check and deckchair-inspired stripes. Ruffled trims and ties at the neckline capture the floaty, effortless feel of the collection. Festival
tank tops in ribbed cotton jersey are trimmed with check straps, while looks are wrapped in lightweight wool silk scarves.
For men, collared shirts and shorts are tailored to relaxed lines and finished with fresh interpretations of the Burberry Check, from textural weaves to intricate embroidered designs. The co-ord set is crafted from lightweight cotton poplin printed with a playful seahorse pattern in honeysuckle pink.
The classic cotton piqué polo shirt comes in a spectrum of vivid and neutral colours. Burberry Check is subtly placed at the placket and trims the collar of T-shirts in soft cotton jersey.
Lightweight hooded jackets are ideal for cooler evenings and unexpected showers, the new-season designs woven in aubergine purple and cornflower blue check.
In shoes, the new Knight Runner sneakers offer a streamlined, low-profile shape for summer. Sandals are elevated in the form of the whipstitched leather Baez and check-trimmed suede Urchin styles, while Burberry Check slides and Pavilion sandals are made for the beach.
Lightweight Margate bags are handcrafted in Madagascar from locally sourced raffia palm leaves, dyed in signature sand beige Burberry Check. Accessories include crocheted bucket hats and wraparound sunglasses, designed to shield from the sun.
Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.
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