On April 11th, the website of the Ministry of Finance released the Announcement of the Tariff Commission of the State Council on Adjusting the Measures for Levying Additional Tariffs on Imports Originating from the United States. It is stated that, starting from April 12th, 2025, the additional tariff rate specified in the Announcement of the Tariff Commission of the State Council on Adjusting the Measures for Levying Additional Tariffs on Imports Originating from the United States (Announcement of the Tariff Commission No. 5, 2025) will be adjusted from 84% to 125%.

Just before that, on April 10th, the US government announced that the "reciprocal tariff" rate on Chinese goods imported into the US would be further increased to 125%.

In the face of the new round of trade "big stick" of additional tariffs imposed by the United States, the nerves of the global supply chain have once again tensed up. Will the export of Chinese small commodities, which is characterized by "small profits but quick turnover", bear the brunt? A reporter from China Business Journal made a special trip to Yiwu, Zhejiang, known as the "Capital of World Small Commodities". 

Yiwu is an important hub and window for China's foreign trade, as well as the world's largest small commodity trading market. According to the data released by Yiwu Customs, in 2024, the total import and export value of Yiwu City reached 668.93 billion yuan, with a year - on - year growth of 18.2%. Among them, the export value was 588.96 billion yuan, with a year - on - year growth of 17.7%; the import value was 79.97 billion yuan, with a year - on - year growth of 22.2%. The proportions of the total import and export, export, and import values in the province were 12.7%, 15.1%, and 5.9% respectively, with the ratios increasing by 1.1, 1.1, and 1.0 percentage points respectively.

In the face of the challenge of the additional tariffs imposed by the United States, Huang Lina, the person in charge of a glass products sales enterprise in Yiwu, said, "When we encounter problems, we will solve them. There is no need to be overly panicked. In fact, many countries along the Belt and Road Initiative welcome Chinese enterprises to build factories there, which also opens up more new development opportunities for us." 

Mr. Lv, the person in charge of an enterprise engaged in cross-border e-commerce and mainly selling handicrafts, said, "The increase in tariffs doesn't mean that the market will collapse. Just like when encountering a big wave, as long as we find a safe haven and keep ourselves dry, we can eventually pull through. The tide will eventually recede. As long as we survive and don't withdraw from the market, there is still hope to win." 

Gong Qunming, the sales manager of Xinfeng Enterprise Co., Ltd., told the reporter that the company is mainly engaged in the export business of leisure travel hats, with the European and American markets as the mainstay. In the face of the uncertainties in international trade, the company has made full preparations in advance in aspects such as production channel construction, team building, development of emerging markets, and platform establishment. He emphasized, "If we want to continue our business, we can't miss any country or any market." 

Regarding the future development, Gong Qunming expressed firm confidence and hoped that the government could further provide guidance and support. For example, it could assist enterprises in setting up factories overseas, organize enterprise inspection teams to go overseas, and promote products so that more African countries can understand Chinese-made products.