The ninety-day suspension of key customs duties between the United States and China, which has drastically reduced tariffs (from 145% to 30% for those imposed by Washington, from 125% to 10% for those by Beijing), was met with relief by the markets. However, now is not the time to lower our guard, warns the Freight Leaders Council, which argues that the trade truce does not resolve the underlying tensions that continue to jeopardise global stability.
According to the association’s president, Massimo Marciani, the reopening of trade channels between the two powers is a “strategic window”, but it should not overshadow the domestic issues that hinder Italy’s logistical potential. The tax system remains a central issue: Italian ports suffer from a clear competitive disadvantage compared to their Northern European counterparts, where VAT management mechanisms are significantly more business-friendly.
The effects of US tariff policies are already visible. Tariffs of up to 145% on Chinese goods have led to a significant slowdown in trade flows to the United States, with a projected 35% drop in imports at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and substantial repercussions also affecting the Atlantic coast, from New York to New Jersey. According to the World Trade Organization, without an agreement, US-China trade could have contracted by as much as 80%, putting entire supply chains at risk.
Italy has also felt the impact of this instability, particularly in exports to the United States. Marciani notes that logistics is often the first indicator of an economic crisis: when flows come to a halt, it is already too late to take action. Yet, he warns, logistics continues to be underestimated in political decision-making. The Freight Leaders Council stresses the importance of seizing the opportunities presented by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. More than 130 million euros in public funding are already available, which could generate nearly half a billion euros in investment, especially in the digital transformation of the sector. But time is running out, and these resources risk going unused without decisive intervention.
Among the Freight Leaders Council’s proposals is the urgent need to advance the digitalisation of the supply chain, strengthen intermodality and create alternative corridors. However, the tax issue remains at the heart of the problem. The comparison with the Netherlands is telling. In Rotterdam, the Postponed VAT Accounting system allows businesses to defer VAT payments by simply recording the tax in their periodic returns. In Italy, by contrast, VAT must be paid immediately upon the goods' arrival, increasing financial pressure on companies.
Marciani offers a concrete example: a ship loaded with shoes docks in Rotterdam, and the producer pays 21% VAT only when the goods are sold. If the same ship arrives in Gioia Tauro, the 22% VAT must be paid immediately, even before the goods are unloaded. Under these conditions, he concludes, it is impossible to compete based solely on logistical efficiency. A level fiscal playing field is needed. The absence of a VAT deferral mechanism drives many companies to choose Northern European ports, despite their greater distance from Italian markets.
This choice diverts traffic away from national ports, slows down internal logistics and reduces the economic impact on local territories. Yet, according to the Freight Leaders Council, Italy’s logistics system has the infrastructure, expertise and businesses to play a leading role in international trade. But without a shared strategic vision and a fiscal reform that restores fair competition, Italy risks once again being left on the sidelines.
