April 9 (Reuters) - So many U.S. companies rushed in

goods to avoid President Donald Trump's many threatened tariffs

that imports soared to near-record levels in recent weeks. Now,

retailers and other importers are hitting the brakes, awaiting

clarity on where the new duties will land.

U.S. import bookings on massive container ships dropped

64% from the period of March 24-31 to the period of April 1-8,

the week when Trump announced "reciprocal" tariffs on a swath of

countries, container-tracking software provider Vizion said.

The start-and-stop of Trump's threatened tariffs -

including Wednesday's pause on newly imposed tariffs, excluding

China - is paralyzing that trade, retailers and transportation

executives say.

Retailers, who would normally be readying plans for the

crucial winter holidays, have not placed their usual orders for

Christmas decor from Chinese factories. Amazon ( AMZN ) is reportedly

canceling some summer season orders from Asia. And, the retail

industry trade group that counts Walmart ( WMT ) and Target ( TGT )

among its members, forecasts a sharp drop in U.S.

imports in the second half of 2025.

"It's a tough environment to operate in because there's no

certainty around what's happening or not happening," said Lee

Mayer, CEO and founder of Denver-based Havenly Brands, which

owns furniture retailers like Burrow and The Citizenry.

"There's a lot standing in place. No one wants to talk costs

yet. No one wants to talk resurfacing yet," said Mayer, whose

brands have been importing more furniture from Vietnam, Cambodia

and have been lessening dependence on China.

Trump on Wednesday put a 90-day hold on his collection

of "reciprocal" tariffs, including 46% on Vietnam and 49% on

Cambodia, less than 24 hours after they were imposed.

But in a show of brinkmanship, he hiked duties on China-made

goods from 104% to 125% - escalating a battle between the

world's largest importer and the world's largest exporter that

has global financial markets on edge.

Retailers from Nike ( NKE ) to Best Buy ( BBY ) are exposed

to Trump's trade war because they rely on key manufacturing hubs

including China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Amazon.com ( AMZN ), world's largest online retailer,

canceled orders for beach chairs, scooters and air conditioners

from China and other Asian countries, to reduce the financial

hit from Trump's new tariffs, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday,

citing people familiar with the matter.

Amazon ( AMZN ) did not immediately provide comment.

Mayer and other retailers, including import-dependent

sneaker sellers, plan to work off stockpiled inventory while the

dust settles.

"The other thing we're trying to do is maintain a little bit

of composure until this shakes out," she said.

Shortly before the Trump administration announced the

reprieve on "reciprocal" tariffs, the National Retail Federation

(NRF) and Hackett Associates forecast containerized import cargo

volume would drop at least 20% year-over-year in the second half

of 2025.

That was based on Trump's now paused tariffs. At the time,

tariffs on China were 104%. NRF said it would not revise that

forecast.

"Retailers have been bringing merchandise into the country

for months in attempts to mitigate against rising tariffs, but

that opportunity has come to an end," said Jonathan Gold, NRF

vice president for supply chain and customs policy.

The second half of the year includes crucial shopping

seasons for retailers, including back-to-school and the

Thanksgiving to Christmas shopping season.

"The back-to-school period is typically a major sales

opportunity for them and will likely be the first time that the

tariff effects will show up," Sheraz Mian, director of research

at Zacks Investment Research said.