Country-of-origin adjustments can help U.S. high-tech companies minimize geographical risks and mitigate the impact of tariffs. But the strategy can be costly, complicated and risky; and a decision that’s not easily undone. Tariffs are not going to just disappear, market experts say. Even with a delay on certain Chinese-import tariffs, the likelihood of a cease…
SHENZHEN, China — A two-day shut down of Hong Kong International Airport forced the cancellation of hundreds of passenger flights and caused a fair amount of anxiety in the electronics supply chain. However, as of August 15th, passenger flights had returned to normal and supply-chain pressure had eased. The negative impact on imports, exports and…
The two-day closure of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) had not impacted air cargo as of late Tuesday, although future delays appear inevitable. Given the volume of freight that passes through the airport — 5.1 million metric tons in 2018—any disruption of air traffic can hinder cargo departures. Air freight carriers, including Cathay Pacific, FedEx,…
Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles focusing on strategies that mitigate the impact of tariffs on imported goods. Tax and business advisory firm KPMG identified seven successful tactics in its webinar TradeWatch: Section 301 Tariffs; What we’ve Learned in Year One. This article covers recommendations four through seven. The U.S.-China trade war…
U.S. factory activity declined for the fourth straight month in July as weakening demand and ongoing trade anxiety weighed on manufacturers. The nation’s leading factory index, the PMI, fell to its lowest point since 2016, dropping by 0.5 percent to a level of 51.2. “This is the fourth straight month of PMI decline without any…
Editor’s note: This is one of two articles focusing on strategies that mitigate the impact of tariffs on imported goods. Tax and business advisory firm KPMG identified seven successful tactics in its webinar TradeWatch: Section 301 Tariffs; What we’ve Learned in Year One. This article covers recommendations one through three. Tariffs, according to leading tax…
The tariffs that President Donald Trump has slapped on Chinese imports haven’t sparked the widespread return of manufacturers to the U.S. that Trump envisioned, according to A.T. Kearney’s latest Reshoring Index. The United States has made significant changes to its trade policy with the specific intent of bringing manufacturing home. However, imports from 14 traditional…
Although the U.S. and China have reached a cease-fire on new tariffs, the electronics supply chain remains chaotic, one executive told the Institute for Supply Management. “China tariffs and pending Mexico tariffs are wreaking havoc with supply chains and costs. The situation is crazy, driving a huge amount of work [and] costs, as well as…
Editor’s note: As China’s labor costs increase and tariffs disrupt the supply chain, other nations are lobbying for manufacturers’ attention. Recently, a Vietnam-based manufacturer announced it could help U.S. electronics companies avoid tariffs on Chinese imports. EPSNews reached out to a number of sources for input on this topic, and heard from Maxine Gordon, Regional…
Editor’s note: Following the news of possible tariffs on goods imported from Mexico – and the ongoing trade war with China – EPSNews’ sister publication EBN reached out to a few friends and colleagues from the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) world to find out what they and their customers think of this thorny issue. This…