40% of Goods Face Supply Disruption Risks:

Hong Kong’s Ming Pao Reports
At the 2025 Canton Fair, multiple Chinese exporters revealed that U.S. retail giants such as Walmart, Target, and The Home Depot have notified them to resume shipments of goods previously suspended due to high U.S. tariffs on China, with tariff costs to be borne by U.S. buyers. The U.S.-China tariff war had previously caused abrupt fractures in American retail supply chains, leaving companies reliant on Chinese suppliers, including Walmart and Target, in crisis. Approximately 40% of essential goods now face supply shortages, with seasonal categories like holiday decorations being the hardest hit. Chinese suppliers, grappling with profit margins compressed by over 40%, collectively halted shipments to the U.S.

▍Retail Giants Held Meeting with Trump
Reports indicate that the CEOs of the three aforementioned retail giants visited the White House to meet with Donald Trump, discussing the impact of tariff policies on "import-dependent" businesses. Following the meeting, these companies notified their Chinese suppliers to resume shipments. During the White House talks, the CEOs of Walmart and Target privately warned Trump that sweeping tariffs could disrupt supply chains, potentially leading to empty store shelves in the future. For example, Walmart sources approximately one-third of its merchandise (around 1 million standard containers) via maritime shipping, with 40%–60% originating from China. In its latest fiscal year, Walmart’s inventory turnover ratio stood at 9.19 times per year, corresponding to an inventory-to-sales ratio of approximately 1.3 months (about 40 days).

▍Partial Shipments Remain Suspended
Notably, not all product lines have resumed shipments. A manager at a Guangdong-based stoneware export company revealed that only festive-themed products were reinstated, while some orders for everyday designs were canceled.

▍Walmart Launches "Green Channel"
The proactive efforts of Chinese and U.S. businesses to stabilize supply chains highlight the failure of tariff barriers to undermine the structural demand driving bilateral trade. On April 24, 2025, Walmart China announced via its WeChat official account that it would establish a "green channel" for qualified foreign trade enterprises, simplifying approval processes and accelerating market entry to help these companies expand into the domestic market. This move followed Walmart’s March 2025 demand for Chinese suppliers to lower prices under tariff pressures—a decision that led to discussions with China’s Ministry of Commerce. U.S. retailers like Walmart now face a dilemma: cancel Chinese orders or pass tariff costs onto American consumers.

▍"Made in China" Proves Irreplaceable
The choice by Walmart and other U.S. retailers to continue partnering with Chinese suppliers and absorb tariffs underscores the short-term irreplaceability of "Made in China." As the world’s two largest economies, China and the U.S. benefit immensely from trade collaboration. Even if the U.S. restricts imports, domestic consumer demand for Chinese goods will persist. Beggar-thy-neighbor deglobalization tactics are self-defeating; nations cannot revert to isolationism, and attempts to "exclude China" from global supply chains remain a pipe dream.