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The Star
5 days ago
- Business
- The Star
In China's factory heartland, warehouses weather Trump tariffs
GUANGZHOU, (China): Labourer Shuai Hang went a week without work earlier this year when sky-high US tariffs on Chinese goods overwhelmed the warehouse he works at and slowed the company's US-bound parcels to a trickle. But on Tuesday (Aug 12), after US President Donald Trump announced a truce on those duties would be extended, the depot in southern China's manufacturing hub Guangzhou was alive with noise as workers stuffed trucks with packages of clothes and kitchenware. Many are destined for the doorsteps of US customers of Chinese-founded online shopping giant Temu. "Tariffs impact our daily lives," said 31-year-old Shuai, whose monthly pay of more than 10,000 yuan ($1,400) had dropped by a third previously. "If tariffs are slightly lower, then there are more outgoing shipments, and then we have higher wages," he said. Trump's tariff policies since taking office have upended global trade and set off a blistering tit-for-tat with Beijing -- but in May the two major economies agreed to a fragile truce, with each temporarily lowering levies on the other's goods. That agreement was extended to November by Trump on Monday, hours before it expired. At the height of the tariffs, said Shuai, who has been loading parcels for Guangzhou-based logistics company Weijiang International for a year, "there was not a single truck" for him to fill, so he couldn't work. Overall deliveries dropped by about 20 percent in May, according to Weijiang's founder Xiong Wei, with the US market making up around a quarter of their cross-border business. But business has recovered since July, he said. Xiong said he hadn't lost sleep over the looming expiration of the 90-day tariff truce this week, as he had expected it would be renewed. "We might have been worried in May, but now we are indifferent," said Xiong. "We are used to it". - 'Cards reshuffled' - These days the warehouse is sending out 100 tonnes of packages every 24 hours, with up to 70 trucks making trips. On Tuesday industrial fans whirred as sweat-slicked workers methodically scanned yellow, black and sage green bundles into lorries. Xiong's company has recently invested in its own warehouse in Chicago. In many ways the uncertainty provided opportunity for smaller logistics companies like theirs, said manager Chen Weiyan, as they have taken the chance to expand their market. "The cards have been reshuffled," he said. Around 30 percent of the parcels moved by Weijiang International end up in a different warehouse, this one owned by Temu-parent PDD, where they are unloaded, repacked and readied for a flight across the ocean. While the truce is welcome, Shuai, who packs three to four tonnes in a truck daily, said he still pays close attention to tariff news. "For those of us who have travelled over 1,000 kilometres to work here, we definitely don't want frequent breaks. We all want to earn more money," said the native of neighbouring Guizhou province. Working at the warehouse was less tiring than labouring at a construction site, and earning money had become more difficult in the past two years, he said. Chen, the manager, was bullish. "We will not give up this market," he said. "Folks in America need our goods". - AFP
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
In China's factory heartland, warehouses weather Trump tariffs
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Workers at a delivery company in Guangzhou sort out packages of online shopping giant. GUANGZHOU, China – Labourer Shuai Hang went a week without work earlier in 2025 when sky-high US tariffs on Chinese goods overwhelmed the warehouse he works at and slowed the company's US-bound parcels to a trickle. But on Aug 12, after US President Donald Trump announced a truce on those duties would be extended , the depot in southern China's manufacturing hub Guangzhou was alive with noise as workers stuffed trucks with packages of clothes and kitchenware. Many are destined for the doorsteps of US customers of Chinese-founded online shopping giant Temu. 'Tariffs impact our daily lives,' said 31-year-old Mr Shuai, whose monthly pay of more than 10,000 yuan (S$1,800) dropped by a third previously. 'If tariffs are slightly lower, then there are more outgoing shipments, and then we have higher wages,' he said. Mr Trump's tariff policies since taking office have upended global trade and set off a blistering tit-for-tat with Beijing. But the two major economies agreed in May to a fragile truce , with each temporarily lowering levies on the other's goods. That agreement was extended to November by Mr Trump on Aug 11, hours before it expired. At the height of the tariffs, said Mr Shuai, who has been loading parcels for Guangzhou-based logistics company Weijiang International for a year, 'there was not a single truck' for him to fill, so he could not work. Overall, deliveries dropped by about 20 per cent in May, according to Weijiang's founder, Mr Xiong Wei, with the US market making up around a quarter of their cross-border business. But business has recovered since July, he said. Mr Xiong said he has not lost sleep over the looming expiration of the 90-day tariff truce this week, as he expected it would be renewed. 'We might have been worried in May, but now we are indifferent,' he said. 'We are used to it'. A worker at a warehouse of the Weijiang International delivery company seals packages of online shopping giant Temu. PHOTO: AFP 'Cards reshuffled' These days, the warehouse is sending out 100 tonnes of packages every 24 hours, with up to 70 trucks making trips. Industrial fans whirred as sweat-slicked workers methodically scanned yellow, black and sage green bundles into lorries. Mr Xiong's company has recently invested in its own warehouse in Chicago. In many ways, the uncertainty provided opportunity for smaller logistics companies like theirs, said manager Chen Weiyan, as they have taken the chance to expand their market. 'The cards have been reshuffled,' he said. Around 30 per cent of the parcels moved by Weijiang International end up in a different warehouse, this one owned by Temu-parent PDD, where they are unloaded, repacked and readied for a flight across the ocean. A truck carrying goods for delivery leaves a warehouse of the Weijiang International delivery company in Guangzhou. PHOTO: AFP While the truce is welcome, Mr Shuai, who packs three to four tonnes in a truck daily, said he still pays close attention to tariff news. 'For those of us who have travelled over 1,000km to work here, we definitely don't want frequent breaks. We all want to earn more money,' said the native of neighbouring Guizhou province. Working at the warehouse is less tiring than labouring at a construction site, and earning money has become more difficult in the past two years, he said. Mr Chen, the manager, was bullish. 'We will not give up this market,' he said. 'Folks in America need our goods'. AFP
Int'l Business Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
In China's Factory Heartland, Warehouses Weather Trump Tariffs
Labourer Shuai Hang went a week without work earlier this year when sky-high US tariffs on Chinese goods overwhelmed the warehouse he works at and slowed the company's US-bound parcels to a trickle. But on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump announced a truce on those duties would be extended, the depot in southern China's manufacturing hub Guangzhou was alive with noise as workers stuffed trucks with packages of clothes and kitchenware. Many are destined for the doorsteps of US customers of Chinese-founded online shopping giant Temu. "Tariffs impact our daily lives," said 31-year-old Shuai, whose monthly pay of more than 10,000 yuan ($1,400) had dropped by a third previously. "If tariffs are slightly lower, then there are more outgoing shipments, and then we have higher wages," he said. Trump's tariff policies since taking office have upended global trade and set off a blistering tit-for-tat with Beijing -- but in May the two major economies agreed to a fragile truce, with each temporarily lowering levies on the other's goods. That agreement was extended to November by Trump on Monday, hours before it expired. At the height of the tariffs, said Shuai, who has been loading parcels for Guangzhou-based logistics company Weijiang International for a year, "there was not a single truck" for him to fill, so he couldn't work. Overall deliveries dropped by about 20 percent in May, according to Weijiang's founder Xiong Wei, with the US market making up around a quarter of their cross-border business. But business has recovered since July, he said. Xiong said he hadn't lost sleep over the looming expiration of the 90-day tariff truce this week, as he had expected it would be renewed. "We might have been worried in May, but now we are indifferent," said Xiong. "We are used to it". These days the warehouse is sending out 100 tonnes of packages every 24 hours, with up to 70 trucks making trips. On Tuesday industrial fans whirred as sweat-slicked workers methodically scanned yellow, black and sage green bundles into lorries. Xiong's company has recently invested in its own warehouse in Chicago. In many ways the uncertainty provided opportunity for smaller logistics companies like theirs, said manager Chen Weiyan, as they have taken the chance to expand their market. "The cards have been reshuffled," he said. Around 30 percent of the parcels moved by Weijiang International end up in a different warehouse, this one owned by Temu-parent PDD, where they are unloaded, repacked and readied for a flight across the ocean. While the truce is welcome, Shuai, who packs three to four tonnes in a truck daily, said he still pays close attention to tariff news. "For those of us who have travelled over 1,000 kilometres to work here, we definitely don't want frequent breaks. We all want to earn more money," said the native of neighbouring Guizhou province. Working at the warehouse was less tiring than labouring at a construction site, and earning money had become more difficult in the past two years, he said. Chen, the manager, was bullish. "We will not give up this market," he said. "Folks in America need our goods". Shipments to the United States, which makes up around a quarter of Weijiang's cross-border business, shipments had recovered after falling earlier due to the tariff uncertainty, founder Xiong Wei says AFP The uncertainty provided opportunity for smaller logistics firms like Weijiang, said manager Chen Weiyan (R), as they have taken the chance to expand their market AFP
France 24
5 days ago
- Business
- France 24
In China's factory heartland, warehouses weather Trump tariffs
But on Tuesday, after US President Donald Trump announced a truce on those duties would be extended, the depot in southern China's manufacturing hub Guangzhou was alive with noise as workers stuffed trucks with packages of clothes and kitchenware. Many are destined for the doorsteps of US customers of Chinese-founded online shopping giant Temu. "Tariffs impact our daily lives," said 31-year-old Shuai, whose monthly pay of more than 10,000 yuan ($1,400) had dropped by a third previously. "If tariffs are slightly lower, then there are more outgoing shipments, and then we have higher wages," he said. Trump's tariff policies since taking office have upended global trade and set off a blistering tit-for-tat with Beijing -- but in May the two major economies agreed to a fragile truce, with each temporarily lowering levies on the other's goods. That agreement was extended to November by Trump on Monday, hours before it expired. At the height of the tariffs, said Shuai, who has been loading parcels for Guangzhou-based logistics company Weijiang International for a year, "there was not a single truck" for him to fill, so he couldn't work. Overall deliveries dropped by about 20 percent in May, according to Weijiang's founder Xiong Wei, with the US market making up around a quarter of their cross-border business. But business has recovered since July, he said. Xiong said he hadn't lost sleep over the looming expiration of the 90-day tariff truce this week, as he had expected it would be renewed. "We might have been worried in May, but now we are indifferent," said Xiong. "We are used to it". 'Cards reshuffled' These days the warehouse is sending out 100 tonnes of packages every 24 hours, with up to 70 trucks making trips. On Tuesday industrial fans whirred as sweat-slicked workers methodically scanned yellow, black and sage green bundles into lorries. Xiong's company has recently invested in its own warehouse in Chicago. In many ways the uncertainty provided opportunity for smaller logistics companies like theirs, said manager Chen Weiyan, as they have taken the chance to expand their market. "The cards have been reshuffled," he said. Around 30 percent of the parcels moved by Weijiang International end up in a different warehouse, this one owned by Temu-parent PDD, where they are unloaded, repacked and readied for a flight across the ocean. While the truce is welcome, Shuai, who packs three to four tonnes in a truck daily, said he still pays close attention to tariff news. "For those of us who have travelled over 1,000 kilometres to work here, we definitely don't want frequent breaks. We all want to earn more money," said the native of neighbouring Guizhou province. Working at the warehouse was less tiring than labouring at a construction site, and earning money had become more difficult in the past two years, he said. Chen, the manager, was bullish.
Vogue
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
A Sad Goodbye to New Top, the Downtown Jewelry Shop That Fashion Insiders Loved
The New Top Instagram page, once boasting thousands of followers, including many influential creatives, is now deactivated—gone without a trace. The reason for its closure is still unknown, but in statement released exclusively to Vogue, Shuai wanted to give special thanks her devoted shoppers over the years. 'I am very grateful for your support and friendship every day I work,' she wrote via a third party. 'I will always remember your sunny smiles!' While the news of New Top closing is still spreading, many fashion fans are already mourning the loss. And understandably so: There are few shops like it left in the city. For one, you did not need a fortune to shop its assortment of gold goods; the shop was popular for its competitive price points. (Nearby, Popular Jewelry on Canal Street is another celebrity favorite, though decidedly pricier.) New Top was also one of the larger and more sceney jewelry shops in the city: You went there not only to shop, but to see who was shopping. When Vogue reached out to fashion insiders to share their favorite memories of the store, we were delighted to hear so many great encounters and memorable encounters that took place amid its treasure trove of gold jewelry over the years. Read on for special homages to New Top. This is truly the end of an era. Liana Satenstein, writer and creator of NeverWorns 'I loved it because you could get something as small as a pinky ring, or something as big as a gold chain with a massive charm. It eventually became the place where, when someone left Vogue, they'd get a piece of jewelry engraved [as their going-away gift].' Kim Shui, designer 'We had Jane walk in one of my first shows. Almost all of my gold jewelry is from there. New Top was great because she knew what you were looking for and she always made suggestions that worked. If you asked for custom lettering, she was able to translate what you wanted.' Sally Singer, president, Art + Commerce I loved New Top, and especially Jane, who liked to brag about her studious and artistically talented daughter while pulling fifty or more charms from the display for me to hem and haw over. New Top was my go-to place for talismanic, personalized baubles—my idea of 14-karat heaven. The selection was vast, the prices fair, and the scene incredible. One of the last true bastions of downtown cool.
