Global entry with Thomas Taggart-column every two weeks on mobility in global trade, e-commerce and compliance in a changing world
Also read: Although 7 out of 8 brands of e -commerce raises prices to compensate for definitions, 96 % still expect international sales to rise in the fourth quarter
Peak Season 2025 offers an unprecedented convergence of challenges and opportunities. Trade opposite winds: tariff costs continue to climbing, We have a minimum The exemption has ended, and customs that are carried out at the highest levels of all levels. Meanwhile, customer expectations of speed and transparency continue to rise.
However, market conditions are not uniform. Eliminate Canada by 25 % tax In Sevice US Products provides relief, the volatility of the customs tariff is stable six months of turmoil, and the weak dollar promotes the competitiveness of the American product abroad.
For e -commerce brands, these changing trade dynamics collide with holidays. And the numbers tell a blatant story: based on A research survey on the passport and leadership Among the 200 senior e -commerce leaders across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, 96 % expects international demands to grow in this fourth quarter – but only 31 % say they are completely ready to deal with it.
This gap between optimism and willingness makes the coming weeks a very important. Trademarks cannot back down from policy transformations or their planning calendars. But they can now behave decisively to develop systems, strategies and guarantees that will determine whether this season is profitable or painful.
Early engines for late novice
Most e -commerce leaders learn about the risks. 86 % of peak planning began in the first half of the year, and a small but smart group (17 %) began until late 2024. These first engines gained time to emphasize testing systems, coordination through marketing and e -commerce teams, and building customs tariffs in their budgets.
But 1 out of 7 admit that they did not start planning until the third quarter – or they did not start at all. For them, compressed time tables mean less chances to improve systems or stress test strategies before the most crowded sales window this year. What the antiquities planners spread over months, the beginners are now racing in weeks.
The pressures that lead peak priorities
The respondents are classified for the constant surveying three priorities as the task of this fourth quarter:
- Fast and reliable delivery (57 %)
- Reducing shipping costs (41 %)
- Customer satisfaction (37 %)
But external factors – especially Definitions and commercial policies Do you reshape how brands deal with these priorities:
- 99 % say customs duties affect peak planning. Section 301 tariffs on China (7.5 % -25 %) and new IEPA definitions (20 % for China-original products) are costs. A mutual tariff ranges from 10 % to 50 % adding more complexity.
- 7 of 8 have already raised prices To compensate for the high costs of landing. For many, the challenge is the margin protection budget while maintaining the rates of conversion in a market -sensitive market.
- In Canada, modern 25 % magic tax on American goods It has opened nEW opportunity. The brands that are sold to Canada are re -evaluating pricing strategies and marketing budgets to take advantage of lower costs – in time for black Friday and Sber.
The message is clear: E -commerce leaders walk a rope between controlling costs and customer experience. Those who can protect the margins without erosion of confidence will be the ones who go forward.
Five movements make leaders
To manage these competing pressures, brands tend to five strategies in data and practice:
- Expansion Empowerment inside the country. Nearly 1 out of 4 brands plan to open or expand loyalty in new countries this year, which reduces exposure to tariffs and approaching customers. As Sean Frank, CEO of Ridge, put him: “If we will take this seriously, then we must have a local stock on a local website so that the customer in Germany can get his request within two days as they expect.”
- Using paid fees (DDP) (DDP). More brands choose to deal with duties and taxes in advance to prevent the vehicle from abandoning the vehicle and avoiding surprise fees. Christina Le Pinsky noticed from Shipbo: “To reduce waiting times and complications across the border, you can even store inventory in those countries, and take advantage of a firm partner with the Wafa Global Network.”
- Reducing tariff costs. The defect of duty They have returned a strong crane in the post -resolution environment. Trademarks such as Dolls Kill have recovered millions of duties on the goods that were imported to the United States and later exported, which increased the cash flow without raising prices.
- Improving operations. From diversifying suppliers to warehouse automation, leaders fortify their supply chains. Kabir Samitani from fulfillment. Summarize it: “If you can implement internationally, this may be a great distinction of the brand.”
- Raise customer experience. Leaders set clear cut dates, tolerate tolerance with pricing, supporting scaling, and providing actual time tracking. Avi Moskovic confirmed from Prettydamnquick: “It puts you in a much better position in terms of how to communicate before the application is to put – from the product page along the way by exit.”
World Trade context
E -commerce is not present in a vacuum – it works at the mercy of policy and global commercial transformations. This year alone:
- The end of the United States exemption from De Minimis means that every binding package for American clients now requires a complete collective introduction, increased compliance burdens and clearance costs.
- The new tariff layers – from Section 301 and IEPA to mutual tariffs – are forced to reconsider resource strategies, loyalty sites, and pricing models.
- The removal of the tax in Canada is a rare bright point, as it opens the door to more competitive trade flows in the United States – Canada during the holiday.
These transformations amplify the stakes of the peak season. It is better to place brands that adapt to the quickly organizational changes-and comply with the conjugation of the first customer experiences.
The bottom line
Q4 2025 will be a division line. Some brands will display definitions, compliance and convert the rules of trade as the uninterrupted winds. Others will see them as opportunities to distinguish, build flexibility in their systems and confidence in their customer relations.
Ready -made meals: brands can not control definitions or policy attacks, but they can control their willingness when they hit the rush. Leaders who are strengthening operations, carrying pricing strategies, and investing in customer confidence today will be the ones who turn this peak season into a profitable season.
The author biography
Thomas Taggart is the Vice President of Global Trade in Passport, and is a pioneering provider in global e -commerce solutions that helps brands like Ridge, Hexclad, Wildflower Cases worldwide with border shipping, support expert compliance, and empowerment services within the country. To learn more about the passport, please visit Passportglobal.com. The global input with Thomas Taggart is a column every two weeks in the Global Trade magazine that covers strategies, regulations and visions that make up the future of border trade.
