Walmart, Target Resume Business With Chinese Factories: Suppliers

Walmart and Target have resumed business with some of their Chinese suppliers after briefly pausing orders due to uncertainties over steep U.S. tariffs, two Chinese factories told John Liu of CNN.

The retail executives reportedly warned Trump that store shelves across the country could soon go empty. I Photo: Mike Mozart Flickr

The partial resumption came just days after a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and the heads of Walmart, Target, and Home Depot. The retail executives reportedly warned Trump that store shelves across the country could soon go empty.

The renewed orders, though limited, suggest retailers are scrambling to maintain inventory despite escalating tariffs that threaten global supply chains vital to both American retailers and thousands of Chinese factories.

Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese goods have caused many U.S. retailers to suspend or cancel agreements with Chinese suppliers.

The two factories that spoke to CNN said their previous orders for Walmart and Target had been stalled for weeks. The extent of the pause — and the scope of the resumption — remains unclear.