Wakool Weekly News

The first week of August 2025 has blown past every post-pandemic benchmark for supply-chain turmoil. Washington’s new “reciprocal” tariff grid now blankets nearly 70 nations with 10–41 percent duties (Canada is hammered with 35 percent, India jumps to 50 percent, China’s 80 percent threat looms for August 12).

A record-shattering 8.7-magnitude quake slams the Pacific, tsunamis shutter L.A./Long Beach, 900 flights vanish from schedules, and Amazon scrambles to re-wire deliveries—just as U.S.–China talks collapse and Trump vows “no mercy” on his August 1 tariff deadline. Supply chains didn’t bend; they snapped. Freight rates whiplashed, container bookings evaporated, and shippers pivoted overnight to Vietnam, Thailand, and East-Coast gateways.

With Washington confirming 1 August as the tariff go-live date—not merely a deadline—the trade chessboard has shifted from bluff to execution. Formal rate letters are already landing (25 % for Japan and Korea), Treasury warns that non-deal partners will see pre-truce levies “boomerang” back, and a surprise U.S.–Vietnam accord shows how frenzied the final bargaining has become.

As U.S. tariffs impact the global supply chain, West Coast ports predict a historic slowdown. Import volumes could drop by 30–35% in weeks, endangering jobs. Retailers stockpile, while platforms like Shein and Temu raise prices. China’s export slump weakens trans-Pacific sailings, with over 50% of routes canceled. Spot rates stabilise, but analysts warn of renewed downward pressure if U.S. demand weakens. North America’s cross-border trade remains strong, but tariff proposal