by Scott Frederick | Jul 24, 2025 | Global Logistics Alerts
Negotiated deal announcements like the reported Japan and Indonesia agreements could start coming much faster. Some are firm, some are handshakes, and there is a lot of confusion. But there are a couple of sources out there that are keeping a good tab on the tariffs themselves.
The broader country-based tariff list at right shows the current tariff (if a deal is in place) and the threat for August 1st if a deal is not in place.
I won’t speculate any longer on which deals are close, and which aren’t. In this case, you can’t predict the unpredictable.
Versus the pre-Trump period, here are the transitions coming out of the current trade deals.
Japan: 2% to 15%
Indonesia: 3% to 19%
Philippines: 3% to 19%
Vietnam: 3% to 20%
If all of these tariffs stick, and there is no diversion of trade because of the tariff rate (some of these trading partners may see a shifting of sourcing from China to one of these alternative markets if the final tariff rate for China comes in higher than expected), it is expected to generate a net income difference of ~$49.4 billion annually over prior rates.
As other deals are struck, our eyes will be primarily on the larger markets like China, the EU, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, South Korea, and perhaps Thailand, Malaysia and a few others.
Again, we know historically that higher tariffs can lead to some sourcing shifts – and some of the industrial capacity buildout in the US will eat some of this market share. – KP
by Scott Frederick | May 28, 2025 | News
This is something we recently compiled in response to an external media inquiry, so we thought we’d share it here as well.
Introduction
In the world of supply chains and global logistics, a few companies manage to stand out. Fewer still can trace their success to a story as personal — and unlikely — as that of Logistics Plus.
At the heart of it is Jim Berlin: a guy who didn’t come up through boardrooms or business schools, but through real work, real risks, and a relentless belief that there had to be a better way to do things.
The following is by Jim Berlin, Founder & CEO of Logistics Plus, Inc. (with some input from his personal AI chatbot 😀)
The Reluctant Logistics Revolutionary
I didn’t set out to build a company. I was just trying to make a living — driving trucks, taking odd jobs, figuring things out as I went. I didn’t have a fancy degree. What I did have was curiosity, grit, and a belief that most problems had solutions if you looked at them the right way.
Over the years, I worked in just about every part of logistics — from the ground floor up. Along the way, I learned that moving stuff from Point A to Point B wasn’t just about trucks and warehouses — it was about solving puzzles. It was about people. It was about trust.
By the early 1990s, I had built a reputation for taking on messy, complicated problems — and actually enjoying the challenge.
In 1996, came the real turning point: GE Transportation in Erie, Pennsylvania needed help managing transportation logistics during a big outsourcing shift. A lot of people thought the project was doomed. I thought it sounded like fun.
I set up shop with little more than a phone, a borrowed desk, and an idea: do whatever it takes to get the job done — and do it better than anyone expects.
That was the start of Logistics Plus.
The Birth of Logistics Plus
At the beginning, it was just a few of us squeezed into a tiny office inside GE’s massive site. The only promise we made was simple: Passion for Excellence.
It wasn’t just a slogan. It meant we were going to care more, work harder, and figure out smarter solutions than anyone else.
The “Plus” in Logistics Plus mattered, too. It stood for creativity, service, and the mindset that no matter what a customer needed, we were going to find a way — and then add a little extra.
Every customer felt like our only customer.
No job was too small. No detail was too minor.
That approach became the foundation of everything we built.
Vision and Core Values
I never wanted Logistics Plus to be a place where people just punched a clock. I wanted it to be a place where people actually liked what they were doing — and took pride in doing it well.
Our core values grew naturally out of that spirit:
- Passion for Excellence: Find a way to be better today than yesterday.
- Global Mindset: Solve problems anywhere, anytime, with a local touch.
- Entrepreneurial Spirit: Think like an owner. Take initiative.
- Customer Focus: Build partnerships, not transactions.
- Integrity and Transparency: Do the right thing — even when nobody’s looking.
Build a team of people who care, trust each other, and love the work — and the results take care of themselves.
Solutions That Redefined an Industry
What started with GE grew quickly.
We took on more clients, bigger challenges, crazier projects — and just kept figuring it out.
Today, Logistics Plus offers full-service supply chain solutions, including:
- Freight Management: Truckload, LTL, ocean, air, rail — you name it.
- Warehousing & Fulfillment: A growing network for storage, distribution, e-commerce, and installations.
- Global Logistics: International freight forwarding and project cargo.
- Supply Chain Consulting: Helping clients rethink and optimize everything.
- Technology Solutions: Creating user-friendly TMS, WMS, and other logistics applications.
One thing that’s never changed: we specialize in tough stuff — oversized, high-stakes, complicated projects.
If it’s easy, it’s probably not for us.
Global Growth and Recognition
From a borrowed desk in Erie, we’ve grown into a global organization, fast approaching one billion in global sales, with offices in over 50 countries and a network that spans six continents.
Along the way, we’ve earned recognition like:
- EY Entrepreneur of the Year (and a spot in its Hall of Fame)
- Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies (multiple years)
- Top 3PL Provider by industry publications
- Great Place to Work Certification (year after year)
We’re proud of the awards — but prouder of what they stand for: a team that never forgot its roots, no matter how far we’ve come.
The Culture Behind the Success
Ask anyone at Logistics Plus what makes us different, and you’ll hear it: culture.
We’re not a top-down corporate machine. We’re a tight-knit group that values creativity, individuality, and trust.
Anybody here can walk into my office with an idea or a problem — and they do.
In a world racing toward automation and AI, Logistics Plus stays human.
Our customers aren’t just numbers. They’re relationships. They’re friends.
Looking to the Future
Nearly three decades in, and Logistics Plus is just getting started.
We’re doubling down on what’s always made us different: creativity, flexibility, and a willingness to take on the tough stuff others won’t touch.
We’re expanding our global reach, building smarter supply chains, and helping our clients grow by finding solutions where others only see obstacles — taking away headaches so they can focus on running their businesses.
The world keeps changing fast — and while we’ve always embraced cutting-edge technology to stay sharp and competitive, we’ve never lost sight of what matters most.
At Logistics Plus, we’re trying to make sure that even as we stay human — building real relationships and solving real problems — we also have all the high-tech tools our customers need, and always will.
At the core, our mission stays simple:
Solve problems. Create opportunities. Have fun doing it.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Possibility
From a single desk in Erie to a worldwide network, the story of Logistics Plus proves that vision, heart, and persistence still matter.
We didn’t grow because of some master plan.
We grew because we cared.
We solved problems.
And we always — always — tried to do just a little bit more.
The best part?
We’re still just getting started.
Onward!
by Scott Frederick | May 27, 2025 | Global Logistics Alerts
Trump’s Tariffs: Where Things Stand
Jeanne Whalen with the Wall Street Journal shared this great update today regarding the U.S. Trade Tariffs. Read the highlights here.
European Union
On May 23 Trump threatened to impose a 50% rate on the European Union starting June 1, arguing that trade negotiations with the bloc aren’t making progress. Two days later, he pushed back the tariff’s start date to July 9.
Trump initially imposed a 20% “reciprocal” tariff on EU imports, which he later paused for 90 days to allow for negotiations. A 10% baseline levy remains, and some specific EU products, including cars, are subject to higher tariff rates. The EU didn’t immediately
President Trump said the European Union would face a 50% tariff, and he threatened other companies like Apple and Samsung with tariffs for products made overseas. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Reuters
Apple Phones
Trump on May 23 warned Apple that foreign-made iPhones could face tariffs of up to 25%, saying phones for U.S. customers must be made domestically and not in India “or anywhere else.”
Reciprocal tariffs
On April 5, Trump imposed a 10% “reciprocal” tariff on imports entering the U.S. from nearly every country, saying they were necessary to rebalance trade. On April 9, he imposed even higher tariffs on countries and regions that he said engaged in unfair trade, including the EU and Japan, but hours later he paused them for 90 days. Trump didn’t give China this reprieve, instead ratcheting up tariffs on the nation to a total of 145%.
The White House said some countries and goods already hit by separate Trump tariffs in recent weeks were excluded from these reciprocal levies, including steel and aluminum imports; autos and auto parts; and Canada and Mexico (see details of those levies below). On April 11 the administration exempted smartphones and other electronics from the reciprocal tariffs.
China
On May 12, after talks in Geneva, the U.S. and China announced they were temporarily rolling back the tariffs they had imposed in recent months. The cuts will last for 90 days while the two sides continue negotiations.
The U.S. will cut its new 145% tariffs on Chinese goods to 30%. Levies that predate Trump’s second term will continue.
China will cut its new levies on U.S. goods to 10% from 125%. It has also agreed to suspend or cancel retaliatory, nontariff measures.
The U.K.
On May 8, Trump announced the outlines of a new trade deal with the U.K. Under the deal, which is still being negotiated, most U.K. goods will still be subject to the global 10% tariff the U.S. imposed on all countries in April. But U.K. steel and aluminum will be exempt from the U.S.’s 25% levy, and U.K. car tariffs will be lowered to 10% from 25% for the first 100,000 vehicles.
The U.K. committed to import more U.S. goods, including Boeing planes.
Autos
On April 3, the U.S. imposed a 25% tariff on imported autos. On May 3, it imposed 25% tariffs on imported auto parts, but said automakers can get a lower rate on those duties if the car is American-made.
Canada retaliated by imposing 25% import tariffs on vehicles that don’t comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, starting April 9.
Fentanyl and immigration tariffs on Canada and Mexico
A 25% import tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada took effect March 4. Energy products and potash received a lower 10% tariff. Trump said this was to punish the countries for allowing fentanyl and unauthorized migrants to cross into the U.S.
The Trump administration later suspended those tariffs on goods that are eligible for duty-free trade under USMCA. Many goods entering the U.S. don’t comply with USMCA and are therefore subject to the new tariffs.
Canada responded by placing tariffs on $21 billion in U.S. imports, including fruits and vegetables, appliances and liquor.
Mexico initially planned retaliatory measures but didn’t enact them.
Steel and aluminum
The Trump administration imposed 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports on March 12.
Canada retaliated by imposing tariffs on an additional $20.6 billion in U.S. imported goods.
On April 9, the EU retaliated against the steel and aluminum tariffs by approving duties on about $23 billion of U.S. goods, to begin April 15. But the bloc suspended the duties after Trump paused his reciprocal tariffs.
Buyers of Venezuelan oil
On March 24, Trump said the U.S. would impose a 25% tariff on goods from any country that buys oil or gas from Venezuela.
Drugs and microchips
On April 14, the administration said it had opened new investigations that could result in tariffs on pharmaceutical products and semiconductors.
Read the full article at https://www.wsj.com/economy/trade/trump-tariffs-list-products-canada-mexico-china-b41351df. The Logistics Report by the WSJ is also a great subscription resource: https://www.wsj.com/preference-center/newsletters.
