These days, Yiwu —the commercial heart of China— doesn’t sound like it usually does. Normally, April is buzzing with orders for Christmas decorations, hats, lights, trees, and all kinds of festive products headed to the United States. But 2025 is different. And El Mundo has highlighted this in a recent report where I had the chance to share firsthand what we are experiencing.
You can read the full article here:
“Trump is ruining Christmas with his tariffs” – El Mundo, 11/04/2025
Link to the article
What’s really going on?
For weeks now, many of the U.S. clients I work with have gone silent. They’ve either paused their orders or cancelled them entirely. In my case, we have five containers stuck waiting to see if they’ll ship or not, due to the 125% tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Chinese goods.
What we’re witnessing is not just a trade adjustment—it’s a major shock to global supply chains.
The domino effect in Yiwu (and globally)
Yiwu produces everything from Make America Great Again hats to the Christmas ornaments that decorate millions of homes in December. When that production halts, the impact isn’t just local: it affects importers, retailers, and consumers worldwide. Walmart, Nike, Adidas… big brands that rely on this city to stock up are also slowing down operations.
Uncertainty is everywhere. Today there are sanctions, tomorrow a truce, the next day another block. In such volatility, businesses need firm, fast, and well-informed decisions.
What we do at Sinergia Trading
At Sinergia Trading, we’ve been helping our clients prepare for scenarios like this for a long time:
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We explore alternative suppliers in Vietnam, Bangladesh or India, always assessing their real capacity.
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We audit factories and verify they meet quality and logistics standards.
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We negotiate flexible production and shipping terms to avoid losses in a changing trade context.
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We provide on-the-ground, realistic advisory services, like the ones I offer from Yiwu myself.
Because yes, importing from China or Asia is still possible… but not without a strategy.
What lies ahead
The Christmas market is on pause. Some say that this year, in the U.S., there will be fewer lights, fewer hats, fewer everything. Maybe so. But what’s certain is that those who plan today will arrive stronger tomorrow.
From here, I keep working with my team to keep supply chains open, protect our clients’ investments, and find new solutions every day.
If your company is also affected by tariffs, delays or political uncertainty, you’re not alone.
👉 Reach out to us at Sinergia Trading and let’s see how we can help you adapt to this new global playing field.
