In a swift turn of events, the recent tariff reduction between China and the United States has injected fresh momentum into global trade. Nowhere is this shift more palpable than in Dongguan, one of China's key export-oriented cities. From manufacturers to logistics providers, local businesses are moving quickly to fulfill backlogged U.S. orders and seize new global opportunities.

Within 48 hours of the joint statement released in Geneva and the mutual tariff cuts on May 14, container bookings from China to the U.S. surged nearly 300%, according to data from logistics tracking platform Vizion. In Dongguan, factories that had been idling due to trade uncertainties are suddenly bustling again.

At Guangdong Aesonic Technology Co., which specializes in audio products with a third of its business coming from the U.S., Chairman Deng Wenwu described the atmosphere as "everyone returning to work after a long break." U.S. clients flooded him with inquiries, eager to push out delayed shipments that had piled up in warehouses for months.

But Dongguan's response goes far beyond short-term recovery. The city's export-oriented firms have used recent years of global headwinds to rethink and strengthen their strategies. "We've already shifted part of our manufacturing to Vietnam, but the core supply chain remains in China. It's still more competitive here," said Zheng Xingzhong, general manager of Dongguan Guanrui Furniture, who is now eyeing markets in the Middle East and North America beyond the U.S.