The right technology solutions can help you navigate logistics during changing times.
With the U.S. granting a 90-day reduction in tariffs on select Chinese imports, we’re likely to see a shift in freight dynamics — from concerns over blank sailings and declining volume to an accelerated push to restock inventories. Shippers will aim to move both existing goods and new orders swiftly to capitalize on lower duties, hedge against future costs, and gear up for peak season demand.
This sudden influx poses a complex set of challenges for the domestic freight ecosystem. Transpacific Eastbound lanes (China to U.S.), which had scaled back in response to softening trade, are now expected to experience a sharp spike in volume. The result: strained capacity across ports, railroads, drayage providers, warehouses, and last-mile fleets. Rates are likely to climb, storage availability will tighten, and delays could ripple across the entire logistics chain.
Compliance risk also rises sharply. With tariff classifications in flux, importers must ensure accurate documentation, customs declarations, and product codes to avoid costly fines or delays. Operationally, this environment strains both infrastructure and labor, especially as logistics providers are already navigating persistent workforce shortages.
To adapt, businesses must move quickly — but strategically. Securing contract priority with freight partners, scaling temporary warehouse leases, and expanding delivery and warehousing staffing are essential near-term actions. More critically, long-term resilience demands investment in automation and intelligence. Robust shipping and warehouse management software solutions can help optimize cost, streamline operations, and improve resource utilization.
Meanwhile, AI powered analytics platforms provide actionable business insights, enabling smarter decision-making around demand forecasting, capacity planning, and cost management. Automated documentation systems can further reduce compliance risks, helping ensure accuracy amid regulatory shifts.
Ultimately, this tariff window may be brief, but the ripple effects will be long. Companies that respond not just with urgency, but with smarter, tech-driven operations, will be better positioned to weather volatility and emerge stronger through these uncertain times.
At Epicor, we recognize the unique pressures facing manufacturers, distributors, and logistics providers as they race to adapt. Our suite of industry-focused solutions is purpose-built to help businesses meet the moment with agility, automation, and actionable intelligence.
Take Epicor Quick Ship, for example. Our multi-carrier shipping platform empowers businesses to quickly compare rates across carriers, automate shipping paperwork, and track country of origin for parts. This helps avoid compliance errors while streamlining cross-border shipments in a rapidly shifting tariff landscape.
For those managing delivery operations, Elite EXTRA provides advanced last-mile logistics capabilities — leveraging AI to optimize routes, consolidate loads efficiently, and scale up operations without compromising service levels.
Warehouse bottlenecks? Our Epicor Kinetic Warehouse and broader Warehouse Management Solutions give you the tools to manage inventory, locations, serial tracking, and fulfillment with precision and speed, even as inbound volume surges.
Behind the scenes, powerful analytics drive smart decisions. Epicor Grow AI enables deep performance visibility, helping you analyze your freight P/L, delivery reliability, carrier scorecards, and historical delay trends. These insights empower you to renegotiate freight contracts, identify profit leaks, and optimize your transportation mix.
Planning for the future is just as critical. Epicor Smart Inventory Planning and Optimization (IP&O) helps businesses model future demand, balance stock levels, and avoid costly over- or under-buying during volatile periods like this 90-day tariff relief.
And finally, solutions like Epicor ECM streamline the document-heavy world of trade and logistics: automating approvals and freight invoice validation, ensuring secure access, and maintaining compliance across evolving customs workflows.
All of these capabilities are unified within Epicor’s industry-specific ERP ecosystem, empowering your business to move faster, make smart decisions, and stay ready for what’s next.
Learn how Epicor solutions can help your business thrive.
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