Speaking at the TOC Americas conference, a terminal investment director said frequent changes to US tariff policy are causing sharp cargo volume swings at container terminals, with the suddenness of announcements rather than the tariff levels themselves doing the real damage.
What Happened
According to foreign media reports, Tom van Eynde, director of terminal investments in North America for TiL Group, told delegates in Cartagena, Colombia, that US tariffs have been introduced and cancelled repeatedly over the past year or two, prompting cargo to rush in ahead of deadlines and then fall back sharply.
He said this pulse-like volatility hurts terminals most because they cannot adjust capacity as quickly as carriers, which can charter extra vessels or launch new services. Deploying extra gangs and equipment can handle a short-term peak, but it worsens yard and rail congestion and raises cost per box.
Van Eynde also said tariffs are not destroying container trade but relocating it. He cited cargo shifting from Canadian ports to TiL's US terminals as evidence.
Background
US tariff policy has been adjusted frequently in recent years, and shippers often front-load cargo to avoid higher costs, creating short-term surges. Carriers can benefit from higher rates through temporary capacity deployment, but terminal infrastructure expansion takes years of planning and permitting, making it hard to keep pace with demand.
Van Eynde expects the marginal impact on volumes to diminish once tariffs settle in a 10% to 15% range, but policy uncertainty remains a major disruptor for now.
Impact on Shippers
For Chinese exporters and cross-border e-commerce sellers shipping to the US, sudden tariff announcements can trigger front-loading, leading to tight capacity, higher freight rates and terminal congestion, which extends first-mile transit times. Policy reversals may also lead to stricter document reviews and higher inspection rates at customs, adding uncertainty to last-mile delivery.
Shippers need to watch how policy windows affect logistics costs and avoid concentrating shipments before deadlines, which can lead to extra fees.
Recommendations
Shippers are advised to closely track US tariff announcements, plan inventory replenishment in advance, and avoid rushing shipments before policy effective dates. Confirm space availability and terminal operations with logistics providers, allow longer transit times, and verify commodity classification and declared values to ensure document compliance and reduce customs delays. Policy implementation is subject to the latest official announcements.