HP’s forecast for its fiscal year 2019 ending Oct. 31 only factors in the expected financial impact to the company from the List 3 Section 301 tariffs currently in place, including the increase to 25 percent from 10 percent that took effect May 10, Chief Financial Officer Steve Fieler said on a fiscal Q2 earnings call May 23. “We have not included the impact from any future tariffs,” he said, referencing the List 4 duties proposed May 17 on the $300 billion in Chinese imports not previously tariffed. HP continues to operate “in a dynamic environment that includes ongoing industry component constraints as well as macroeconomic, geopolitical and tariff uncertainties,” CEO Dion Weisler said. “But we have a highly experienced team and know how to navigate through complex market conditions.”

The Trump administration remains “on track to hit the industry” with 25 percent Section 301 tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese goods not previously dutied because trade talks with China “have deteriorated” in the past two weeks, emailed the Sports & Fitness Industry Association to members May 22. “Both sides have retreated to their corners and dug in, with no clear pathway for resolution in the immediate future,” it said. The next possible breakthrough in the talks could come at the G-20 summit June 28-29 in Osaka, Japan, where presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet, SFIA said. SFIA is organizing a petition drive for members to urge the removal of apparel, footwear, smartwatches and fitness trackers from List 4.

The Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports “has been a fluid situation for quite some time now,” and Target is “monitoring this very carefully,” CEO Brian Cornell said on a fiscal Q1 earnings call May 22. “As we think about tariffs, we reflect on the impact it could have and will have on American families that are going to be paying higher prices,” he said. Target’s supply-chain “teams have done a very good job of trying to mitigate the impact in the short term,” he said. That Target has a “multi-category portfolio” gives it a “huge advantage in this environment,” he said. “Our ability to flex our focus from category to category is something that’s somewhat unique to Target versus single-category retailers.” Target also has “some very sophisticated vendor partners that for years now have been working to diversify their manufacturing base,” he said.

A 25 percent tariff on shoes from China "would be catastrophic for our consumers [and] our companies," according a letter signed by more than 150 European and U.S. shoe manufacturers and shoe retailers, which was sent to President Donald Trump May 20. Footwear is not currently on the Section 301 list, but the president is considering adding tariffs on all Chinese imports.

CBP's decision to move a total 731 officers from the northern border to the southern border could affect trade coming from Canada, Livingston International said in a blog post. "As we head into peak travel season, the reduction of officers on the northern border is expected to cause delays for both travelers and commercial shipments," the company said. "As a result, commercial transports may experience longer-than-usual wait times for shipments entering the United States from Canada."

The U.S.-China trade talks “put Alibaba on the right side of all the issues on the table,” Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai said on a fiscal Q4 earnings call May 15. Calling the trade war the big “elephant in the room,” Tsai spoke as if a comprehensive trade accord was already in the bag. China’s “commitment to purchase more American products” means it will become a “net importing country,” reducing the U.S.-Chinese trade imbalance, he said. The Chinese e-commerce giant is "not concerned about slowing China exports affecting GDP growth because the Chinese economy is shifting from an export economy to a domestic consumption economy,” he said. "The middle class in China has reached critical mass of over 300 million, almost as large as the entire U.S. population," Tsai said. "The middle class will double in the next 10 years, especially from the lesser-developed Chinese cities. While total Chinese domestic consumption is $5.5 trillion today, consumption from these third-, fourth-, and fifth-tier cities, with a combined population of 500 million people, will triple from $2.3 trillion to nearly $7 trillion in the next 10 years." China in recent years also has made "significant improvements in reducing" intellectual property theft, as it "moves closer to global norms in protecting and paying for foreign IP," he said. Any trade accord with the U.S. will help further that goal, he said. “The vexing issues in the trade negotiations will resolve themselves, as the Chinese economy is already evolving to close the gap between the interests of the United States and China.”

Walmart is working with suppliers to manage prices in the wake of the Trump administration’s tariff increase, from 10 percent to 25 percent, imposed last week on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods -- and the threatened $300 billion fourth tranche of goods covering virtually all remaining Chinese imports not previously tagged -- but increased tariffs “will increase prices for customers,” Chief Financial Officer Brett Biggs said on a May 16 earnings call. The retailer continues to monitor tariff discussions, “hopeful that an agreement can be reached,” Biggs said. The company’s goal “is to always be the low-priced leader, and we will actively manage pricing and margins as warranted with our customers and shareholders in mind.” Walmart teams focused on tariffs are “executing appropriate mitigation strategies,” he said. Biggs told Reuters the retailer will look to ease the pain for consumers, in part by trying to obtain products from different countries and working with suppliers’ “costs structures to manage higher tariffs.” In Q1, revenue rose 1 percent vs. a year ago to $123.9 billion, tempered by currency headwinds, the company said. Walmart U.S. Q1 revenue was $80.38 billion. Traffic in U.S. stores, now called transactions, rose 1.1 percent, while Q1 tickets grew 2.3 percent. E-commerce sales were “robust,” at 37 percent growth, and contributed 140 basis points to the U.S. segment’s comp sales increase, Biggs said.

Descartes bought CORE Transport Technologies of New Zealand for about $21 million, with a future performance-based earn-out of as much as $9 million, the companies said in a news release. CORE is "an electronic transportation network that provides global air carriers and ground handlers with shipment scanning and tracking solutions."

E2open will buy Amber Road for about $425 million, the companies said in a news release. The all-cash deal was approved by the Amber Road board of directors and remains subject to "customary closing conditions," the companies said.

The National Council of Textile Organizations complained that finished Chinese textile home furnishings and apparel don't face Section 301 tariffs yet, while immediate inputs for U.S. mills, such as yarn and fabrics, will be taxed at 25 percent. “Chinese imports of finished goods into the U.S. market have the most significant impact on domestic textile and apparel production, investment and jobs. In order to address the crisis, we need to get to the very heart of the problem," NCTO CEO Kim Glas said. The group said that 93.5 percent of Chinese textile exports to the U.S. are consumer goods, not inputs.