There’s a storm brewing in the world of global trade — and ecommerce brands are already feeling the effects.

In early April, new 145% tariffs on Chinese imports took effect, sending shockwaves through supply chains. But that’s only half the story: shipping lines are halting sailings, waiting to see if policies will reverse. With vessels anchored and inventory flow slowing to a trickle, U.S. imports from China fell 64% in just one week. Container bookings dropped 50%.

For ecommerce, this isn’t just a supply chain hiccup — it’s a direct threat to growth.

Why It Matters for Ecommerce Marketers

Even if your brand isn’t sourcing from China, this disruption affects consumer confidence across the board. People buy less when uncertainty is high — and right now, uncertainty is everywhere.

Consumer sentiment is dropping:

The Ecommerce Consumer Confidence Index has declined steadily since November 2024.

The U.S. Consumer Confidence Index hit a 12-year low in March 2025.

When confidence dips, acquisition slows down, ad performance suffers, and budgets tighten. The knee-jerk reaction? Cut spend, pause campaigns, delay launches. But that approach often backfires.

Email & SMS: Not Optional — Essential

In moments like this, owned channels shine.

Email and SMS let you:

Retain and re-engage existing customers without relying on paid acquisition.

Pivot quickly — with messaging that addresses product availability, shipping delays, or value reassurance.

Strengthen loyalty while competitors are going dark or losing inventory.

If you’re running lean, your owned channels become the lifeline.

Now is the time to:

Revisit your welcome flows, making sure they build trust fast.

Update product and post-purchase messaging to reflect real shipping timelines or restock expectations.

Use SMS for real-time updates and segmented re-engagement.

Double down on customer retention — because keeping a customer is cheaper than acquiring a new one, especially when ad costs are climbing and ROAS is falling.

What Smart Brands Are Doing

The smartest operators are using this slowdown as a moment to build:

Investing in zero-party data collection to power future segmentation.

Launching winback automations and loyalty perks via SMS.

Auditing deliverability, flows, and preference centers to improve long-term retention.

Bottom line: Supply chain issues are unavoidable — but going quiet isn’t the answer. Your email and SMS programs are your direct lines to revenue, loyalty, and customer trust.

This is the time to be proactive, not passive.