Sellers in China trade hub Guangdong seek tariff reprieve from Trump visit
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Guangdong accounted for around a fifth of China’s foreign trade in 2025, at a record 9.49 trillion yuan (S$1.7 trillion).
PHOTO: AFP
GUANGZHOU - Labourers sweated as they wheeled bags of clothes, shoes and accessories to a sprawling wholesale market in southern China, where shop owners hoped an upcoming visit by US President Donald Trump would see an easing of tariffs hitting their exports.
Factories in Guangdong province, China’s production heartland, have borne the brunt of the President’s mercurial policies and a blistering trade war that saw US tariffs on their goods reach an eyewatering 145 per cent for many products.
The tit-for-tat escalation cooled off after Mr Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to a one-year truce in October, but manufacturers at the bustling Guangdong market told AFP that US orders had dwindled.
“It’s very clear – American customers have basically vanished,” said Mr Zhou Hua, a sales manager at denim company 1988.
Guangdong accounted for around a fifth of China’s foreign trade in 2025, at a record 9.49 trillion yuan (S$1.7 trillion), according to China’s customs website.
The White House said in March that Mr Trump will visit China on May 14 and 15, after delaying an earlier summit because of the war against Iran.
China’s Foreign Ministry has not confirmed the dates.
Mr Zhou hopes a Trump visit will mean a reduction in tariffs, which would lead to an increase in orders for his jeans.
While US orders accounted for only around 10 per cent of his company’s foreign trade, Mr Zhou said the country is a fast fashion hub with “massive demand” for apparel, especially denim.
For now, the company is focusing on exporting the jeans to other countries and selling them within China.
“We can’t put all our eggs in one basket,” he added.
People visiting a wholesale clothing market in Guangzhou, in southern China’s Guangdong province.
PHOTO: AFP
Break the ice
US tariffs on Chinese goods are a complex web of overlapping rates and product classifications that have evolved in recent years since Mr Trump launched a trade war in his first presidential term.
A February ruling by the US Supreme Court struck down a broad swathe of the President’s global tolls launched in 2025.
Using a different legal framework, Mr Trump swiftly announced a 10 per cent global duty with a validity period of 150 days that also applies to Chinese goods.
A Trump summit in China would help to break the ice between Beijing and Washington, 1988’s boss Guo Tao said.
“With the two countries fighting this tariff war, it’s a lose-lose situation for everyone, it’s not a win-win scenario,” Mr Guo told AFP.
He is worried not just because of the tariffs but also because of rising costs of raw materials, exacerbated by the war in the Middle East.
“As business owners, we simply seek a thriving economy, national stability and global peace,” he said.
“Only in a peaceful world can we, as merchants, expand our trade to every corner of the globe.”
The corridors were packed with Chinese and foreign buyers haggling over prices, while shop owners touted products on live streams in front of glowing phone screens.
A handbag seller surnamed Zhuang told AFP that while her small stall had not been directly hit by Mr Trump’s tariffs, she “definitely” felt the ripple effects as price-conscious consumers pulled back on spending.
A vendor checking orders at a wholesale clothing market in Guangzhou, in southern China’s Guangdong province.
PHOTO: AFP
‘Strike back’
“They may want to buy our goods but feel the price is too high and decide against it because these aren’t necessities,” Ms Zhuang said, perched on a small stool unpacking her goods.
She said she would support Mr Xi’s decisions should he wish to be “good friends” with Mr Trump.
“But as for expectations – well, there really aren’t any,” she said, adding that Mr Trump was “unreliable”.
At another wholesale mall, iridescent streamers and gold mirror balls hung from the ceiling of Mr Wen Linpeng’s shop selling colourful soap bars, perfumes and make-up products.
Mr Wen’s business does not focus on the US market, but he hoped a Trump visit would bring about more cooperation between the two countries.
China will welcome Mr Trump, Mr Wen said, if the US leader comes with “genuine sincerity”.
“If he were to adopt an unfriendly stance – demanding concessions from China or attempting to coerce us into doing things we are unwilling to do – we would strike back with force,” Mr Wen told AFP.
“But if he is willing to cooperate with us, we would be more than happy to work with him.” AFP
