The administration of US President Donald Trump has released a report accusing dozens of countries of illegally helping China evade US tariffs, resulting in tens of billions of dollars in lost federal revenue each year.
According to the report published Thursday (April 17), the White House said more than 40 countries have been involved in an underground logistics network that facilitates the entry of Chinese goods into the US with mislabeled origins. The Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy called this the “Great Transshipment Swindle.”
The report identified the countries seen as “most supportive” of China, including the European Union, Mexico, Canada, India, Japan, and South Korea. Additionally, Southeast Asian nations such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia also play “important roles” in the network.
The report highlighted that US manufacturing sectors hardest hit by transshipment practices include electrical equipment, integrated circuits, aluminum products, and automotive engine components.
The office, led by Peter Navarro, whom Trump appointed, emphasized: “Every dollar lost to this Great Transshipment Swindle is a dollar stolen from American workers, manufacturers, and taxpayers.”
China’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to the report. Most of the named countries also have not issued official statements.
The White House warned that countries facilitating transshipment are being “watched,” and said border enforcement has used artificial intelligence to integrate shipment data to strengthen enforcement. The message was clear: “The era of untraceable illegal transshipment is over.”
The report comes as Trump pushes forward with protectionist trade policies since returning to the White House. Previously, his administration imposed tariffs of 10–12.5% on imports from dozens of countries allegedly turning a blind eye to forced labor.
A group of 25 Democratic-led states, including New York, California, and Colorado, have sued over these tariffs, arguing they are a move to reimpose “Liberation Day” tariffs that the US Supreme Court rejected in February.
Amitendu Palit, a trade expert at the National University of Singapore, said the White House report is the latest effort by the Trump administration to pressure countries to open their markets further to US goods. He noted that the invalidation of the “Liberation Day” tariffs has caused significant losses for the administration, both in terms of refunds and credibility, prompting them to seek more “creative” ways to weaponize market access.
