What next for China’s export machine after top US court blocks Trump’s tariffs?

South China Morning Post · Feb 23, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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China’s sprawling export sector is eyeing a brief window of opportunity to front-load shipments to the United States following a Supreme Court ruling that appears to have eased tariff rates – even as industry insiders remain wary of potential shocks ahead.All eyes are now on the coming Beijing summit, where US President Donald Trump is set to meet President Xi Jinping in a visit that could prove decisive for the future of bilateral trade, analysts and exporters said.Chinese goods had been subject to an additional 20 per cent in levies imposed by Trump in his second term: “reciprocal” duties of 10 per cent and a further 10 per cent in “fentanyl” tariffs. That was before the US Supreme Court struck down those measures on Friday.As a temporary replacement, Trump issued an executive order on the same day, imposing a 10 per cent levy on all goods entering the United States, effective on Tuesday. He later announced on Truth Social that the rate would be increased to 15 per cent – the maximum allowed under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act.The shift provides Chinese exporters with a net reduction in the near term, capped at 150 days under the obscure trade law cited. While exporters welcomed the drop in rates, some said they were still contending with a complex, multilayered tariff regime.Analysts also cautioned that longer-lasting, potentially higher tariffs could still be imposed under Section 301 – used to address trade practices deemed unfair – or Section 232, which invokes national security concerns.