Small and medium-sized logistics companies in Tijuana, Mexico's land port city bordering the United States, have faced unprecedented challenges since the Trump administration imposed additional tariffs on steel and aluminum products from this neighboring country.
In the first 11 months of 2024, the bilateral trade volume of goods between the U.S. and Mexico reached 776.04 billion U.S. dollars, marking a 5.2 percent year-on-year increase. From January to February 2025, trade activity remained strong, with an estimated value of around 138 billion dollars.
However, Tijuana whose economy relies on industrial real estate, processing and export, as well as warehousing and logistics is no longer as busy as it once was.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the so-called "reciprocal tariffs," imposing a 10-percent "minimum baseline tariff" and higher rates on certain trading partners.
According to the White House, for Canada and Mexico, goods compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will continue to face a 0 percent tariff. Non-USMCA compliant goods will be subject to a 25 percent tariff, while non-USMCA compliant energy and potash will face a 10 percent tariff.
"The first impact that we see, at least here -- the border between Tijuana and San Diego -- is a very clear reduction of the number of operations crossing through the border," said Israel Delgado, vice president of the National Chamber of Freight Transport of Mexico.
Data from the San Diego Municipal Government indicates that approximately 570 processing and export-oriented enterprises in Tijuana and surrounding areas provide over 100,000 direct jobs. Across Baja California State, employment in the transportation and warehousing industry reached approximately 437,000 in the third quarter of 2024.
The capricious U.S. tariff policies have made it difficult for Mexican businesses to develop effective strategies. Some companies have been forced to postpone investments, while the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of workers are now under threat.
"To be honest, it does have an impact on us. Since some of us earn commissions, fewer transport trips mean less income," said a truck driver in Tijuana.
"Many trucking companies are being out of market in the last three months. The small companies will suffer. The more this uncertainty continues, the more struggling will be for the small and medium-sized trucking companies," Delgado said.
The 25-percent additional tariffs imposed by the U.S. on Mexican steel and aluminum products took effect on March 12. In the first week after their implementation, exports from the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez to the U.S. dropped sharply by approximately 40 percent. Many small and medium-sized logistics companies are now facing serious operational difficulties due to the shrinking volume of transportation.
"Aluminum got stopped. Textiles got stopped from December," said Juan Manuel Hernandez Niebla, executive director of the logistics company Grupo Loginam.
Even so, Juan remains optimistic, saying that despite current trade tensions, Mexico will remain essential to U.S. manufacturing.
"I don't think the U.S. can become a manufacturing country again, so they're going to need Mexico to do that." he said.
According to statistics, Mexican products are exported to more than 150 countries worldwide, but the North American market still accounts for about 80 percent of its foreign trade.
The Mexican government is promoting diversification toward markets in Europe, Asia, and Latin America through new free trade agreements and industrial support plans. However, it is difficult to fundamentally reduce reliance on the U.S. market in the short term.
Logistics companies in Mexican border city hit hard by U.S. tariffs
Springtime flower-viewing tours are emerging as a major attraction across China ahead of this year's Qingming Festival, with cities and rural destinations rolling out cultural performances, interactive travel services and countryside experiences to lure visitors and boost the tourism economy.
Falling on April 5 this year, the Qingming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival for honoring the deceased and paying tributes to ancestors. The three-day holiday also provides a short break for Chinese citizens to enjoy outdoor activities and sightseeing in pleasant springtime temperatures.
In north China's Tianjin Municipality, both locals and tourists from other parts of the country have gathered for a begonia flower festival, running from Saturday to April 12, which features 123 performances throughout the event.
At the city's well-known Wudadao historical urban area, or the Five Great Avenues, begonia blossoms are now in full bloom, while newly launched sightseeing carriages have added a fresh highlight, bringing in a larger influx of visitors ahead of the holiday.
To enhance the festive atmosphere, nearly 200 local businesses have decorated their storefronts in a festival theme.
Tianjin has also introduced new efforts to integrate culture, tourism and commerce. A locally developed mini-program as well as multiple interactive games combine festival schedules, guided maps, recommended routes and discount coupons, allowing tourists to access services and unlock surprises during their visits.
During last year's three-day Qingming holiday, the festival helped major scenic spots and commercial areas in the city's Heping District receive more than 3 million visits, generating over 800 million yuan (about 116 million U.S. dollars) in combined tourism-related revenue.
This year, local authorities expect both visitor numbers and overall revenue to rise even further.
Similar momentum is also being seen in central China's Hunan Province. In Xiangfeng Village in Changsha City, rapeseed flowers are now in full bloom, drawing crowds of holiday travelers and turning the village into a popular flower-viewing destination on the outskirts of the provincial capital ahead of Qingming.
The village has developed more than 10 featured courtyard-style businesses, including teahouses, eco-farms, yoga courses and rural art centers.
These venues cover a wide range of services such as dining, team-building, wellness, art education and camping, helping build a diversified rural industry that combines agricultural tourism, wellness tourism and commercial tourism.
In the first quarter of this year alone, the village received about 120,000 tourist visits, generating 4.8 million yuan (around 698,000 U.S. dollars) in tourism income.
The growing courtyard economy has helped turn natural scenery into real economic gain, creating jobs for villagers and providing them with a steady increase in income.
In east China's Anhui Province, spring blossoms are also bringing a boost to rural tourism.
On the shores of Jianshan Lake in Chaohu, Hefei City, blooming peach flowers and rapeseed flowers have attracted large numbers of tourists in recent days.
Jianshan Lake, a reservoir covering over 50 hectares, has also become a hub for both professional and recreational water activities.
While trained athletes practice motorboat events on the lake, ordinary visitors can also enjoy boat rides and go-kart-style watercraft experiences.
The area has further enriched its tourism offerings with camping zones, a pet-themed park and fruit-picking gardens, providing a wider range of activities for holiday travelers.
The integrated development of agriculture, culture and tourism has also created new employment opportunities for local residents, enabling more villagers to find jobs closer to home and improve their incomes as the spring tourism season gains pace.
Tourism, culture, commerce blend across China during Qingming Festival holiday
