Companies increase China imports ahead of tariffs

More from Petersen:

• "What else are we supposed to do? If it happens, it will be catastrophic for some of them."
• Some companies already are talking about moving some manufacturing outside the U.S. One possible destination is Vietnam.
• There is a U.S. loophole whereby there's no duty on anything worth less than $800, so some importers may respond to tariffs by having items packaged individually instead of in bulk. It's also could be a boon to e-commerce companies like Wish, and create the opportunity for new direct fulfillment platforms.
• Flexport has not been asked for input on the tariffs from anyone in the White House. Petersen also hasn't yet discussed the matter yet with Trae Stephens, a Flexport director (via Founders Fund) who worked on the Trump transition.