US claims China-led 'Great Transshipment Scam' costs it billions

Trump administrationWhite House accuses slew of Southeast and Northeast Asian trade partnersShipping containers at the Port of Long Beach in California: The U.S. says it loses billions of dollars to illegal transshipment and that it is using AI to crack down on the practice. © ReutersJAMES HAND-CUKIERMANAugust 14, 2026

The Trump administration on Thursday released a sharply worded report accusing Chinese exporters of orchestrating a system of “illegal transshipment” through more than 40 third countries to dodge US tariffs, branding the practice “The Great Transshipment Scam.” The 25-page document claims Chinese firms have systematica