The implementation of the new US tariff policy has had a structural impact on cross-border logistics of large-scale engineering equipment

The new tariff policy has been officially implemented, and the tax burden on the export of large equipment has significantly increased

The Office of the United States Trade Representative officially announced a new version of tariff measures on July 23, which will come into effect on July 24. According to Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% will be imposed on imported goods from multiple countries, replacing the original global import tariff policy that expired. Large pile foundation engineering equipment such as rotary drilling rigs and pile drivers belong to the category of heavy machinery and are included in the scope of this tariff collection, becoming one of the core categories affected. This type of large-scale equipment has high single unit value and large volume and weight, and the additional tariffs will be directly added to the import cost of the equipment, completely changing the cost accounting system for exports to the United States in the past. Compared to ordinary small goods, the tariff base for large engineering equipment is larger. After adding the original basic tariff and the 301 special tariff, the comprehensive tax burden has increased significantly, directly compressing the profit margin of equipment foreign trade enterprises and significantly increasing the landing cost of equipment for US end purchasers.

Tightening of customs clearance review standards and continuous increase in compliance risks for large logistics

With the implementation of the new tariff policy, the US Customs has simultaneously upgraded its import verification and compliance audit standards. For large equipment with complex structures and numerous accessories such as rotary drilling rigs and pile drivers, the inspection intensity and audit accuracy have been comprehensively improved. Unlike standardized small items, large-scale pile foundation equipment includes multiple components such as the main engine, hydraulic system, intelligent control system, and supporting parts. The customs tariff classification, origin verification, and qualification review process are more complicated. Under the new policy, the US Customs focuses on verifying equipment production traceability, accessory sources, product compliance documents, and other information. Goods with inconsistent declarations, incomplete information, and classification deviations will face risks such as detention, fines, and re taxation. This change significantly extends the clearance time of large equipment ports, reduces the efficiency of mature clearance processes, increases the probability of equipment port detention, and further increases additional logistics costs such as demurrage fees and storage fees.

The restructuring of the airline fare system has increased the difficulty of scheduling large sea freight

The sudden change in tariff policies has triggered a chain reaction in the cross-border logistics market, reshaping the exclusive shipping rates and scheduling system for large engineering equipment. The transportation of rotary drilling rigs and pile drivers relies on special vessels such as heavy lift ships and roll on/roll off ships, with fixed transportation routes and scarce cabin space, making it difficult to flexibly adjust transportation plans like ordinary goods. After the implementation of the new policy, most international shipping companies adjusted their tariff rules for US routes, coupled with tariff risk premiums, resulting in a continuous increase in shipping costs for large equipment to the US. At the same time, some logistics companies have tightened the rules for accepting orders on US routes and reduced the frequency of transporting large equipment to avoid policy uncertainty, resulting in increasingly tight space for special vessels. Under short-term market fluctuations, it is difficult for enterprises to lock in long-term freight rates and shipping schedules, and the difficulty of predicting logistics costs increases. The stability and controllability of equipment export transportation are greatly reduced.

Pressure on export demand to the United States, forcing logistics market layout adjustments

At present, the overall proportion of domestic rotary drilling rigs and pile drivers exported to the United States is relatively controllable. However, the cost increase brought about by the new tariffs has directly suppressed the import and procurement willingness of domestic infrastructure companies in the United States, leading to a slowdown in the growth rate of export orders for large engineering equipment to the United States. The shrinking demand side is transmitted in reverse to the logistics industry, putting pressure on the business volume of logistics companies focused on the transportation of large items in the United States. The original cross-border logistics layout focused on the US market urgently needs to be adjusted. In order to avoid tariff barriers, some foreign trade enterprises have begun to adjust their market structure, reduce direct exports to the United States, and instead focus on emerging infrastructure markets such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, driving the synchronous transfer of large-scale logistics routes and transportation resources. The restructuring of this market structure has resulted in the idle resources of the traditional logistics system for large items in the United States, the rapid growth of logistics demand in emerging markets, and the overall industry entering a period of layout adjustment.

The industry is accelerating its transformation and upgrading, and large-scale logistics is opening up diversified risk avoidance models

Faced with the sustained impact of US tariff barriers, the domestic large-scale engineering equipment foreign trade and logistics industry has proactively adapted to policy changes and embarked on a diversified transformation and upgrading model. Equipment export enterprises are gradually optimizing their overseas production capacity layout, avoiding tariff barriers through overseas factory construction and localized production, and reducing the frequency of cross-border whole machine transportation; Logistics companies will adjust their operational strategies accordingly, optimize their customs declaration system, refine the tax classification and documentation filing process for large equipment, and reduce compliance risks during customs clearance. At the same time, the industry gradually gets rid of its dependence on the single U.S. market, builds a diversified cross-border logistics network, relies on the the Belt and Road market to expand its growth, and hedges tariff and route risks through transit and intermodal transportation, zoning allocation and other modes. In the long run, this round of tariff policies will promote the cross-border logistics of large equipment such as rotary drilling rigs to shift from a single price competition to a compliant, diversified, and refined high-quality development model.