Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Yunnan Province, some 300 kilometers from the epicenter of the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, has swiftly mobilized relief supplies worth 1.1 million yuan (about 151,470 U.S. dollars) to support relief efforts in the affected areas in Myanmar.
On Saturday afternoon, 11 trucks loaded with relief supplies crossed the border into Myanmar through the Jiegao port in the border city of Ruili in Dehong.
These supplies include essential items such as rice, instant noodles, tents, bedding, and other daily necessities, as well as medical supplies including hydrogen peroxide, gauze bandages, and antibiotics.
"We have deployed personnel to work around the clock and opened a green emergency channel to ensure the prompt customs clearance of relief supplies, rescue teams, and inbound patients seek medical care," said Yang Biao, a staff member of Ruili Customs.
As of Saturday night, the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that jolted central Myanmar on Friday had resulted in 1,644 deaths, 3,408 injuries and 139 people missing, according to Myanmar's Information Team of the State Administration Council on Saturday night.
Relief supplies from China's Yunnan Province rushed to quake-hit Myanmar
Relief supplies from China's Yunnan Province rushed to quake-hit Myanmar
Relief supplies from China's Yunnan Province rushed to quake-hit Myanmar
Relief supplies from China's Yunnan Province rushed to quake-hit Myanmar
Los Angeles is grappling with rising costs and delays in its wildfire recovery process, as tariffs on construction materials imposed during the Trump administration compound the challenges.
The devastating wildfires recently destroyed over 17,000 homes and businesses, leaving communities urgently pushing forward with reconstruction.
The Trump administration has recently rolled out new tariffs on a wide range of construction materials, including steel and aluminum, from the main trading partners of the United States, such as Canada, Mexico, and China. This has significantly driven up costs, further complicating the recovery efforts
"As the city and county of Los Angeles move aggressively to rebuild the wildfire areas in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and up in Altadena, to build those houses, we need softwood lumber, aluminum, and steel from Canada," said Gene Soroka, executive director of Port of Los Angeles.
While the tariffs aim to boost domestic production, the transition will take time. In the interim, the shortage of materials is creating ripple effects across the construction sector.
"We are still handling a lot of imported steel, despite the tariffs because there's not enough American manufacturing of steel right now. So, one of the unintended consequences that this has done the wrong way is you don't have enough steel. That impacts construction, that impacts economic growth across the board," said Weston Labar, chief strategy office of Waterfront Logistics.
According to the Associated General Contractors of America, housing costs could skyrocket by almost 50 percent, widening the gap between insurance payouts and actual rebuilding expenses. It may force many homeowners to delay or even abandon their reconstruction plans, prolonging the housing shortage in Los Angeles.
Tariffs are also driving up prices for other products, impacting recovery efforts.
"We need appliances from Mexico, furniture from China, and all of those prices are going up, whether anticipatory, or real as these imports are coming across our port complex. So, we've got to have some pretty detailed discussions about this because families who want to rebuild, businesses who want to get back into the office are going to be impacted by these tariffs one way or another," said Soroka.
As Los Angeles strives to recover, the economic uncertainty caused by tariffs presents a formidable obstacle.
Tariffs add strain to Los Angeles wildfire recovery efforts
