No polled US firms in China shifting production back to US, AmCham survey finds
Tariffs imposed by Washington have not only squeezed Chinese exporters, many US businesses operating in China are also finding themselves caught in the crossfire of a trade war they cannot control, according to fresh findings from a US business chamber.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's plan to bring manufacturing back to the US may face challenges, as American firms said they were localising in China, rather than returning home.
The escalation of US-China trade tensions – particularly through tariffs – is placing mounting pressure on US companies operating in China, with increased costs and reduced competitiveness, according to the results of a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in China. It was conducted from May 23-28, with responses from 112 member companies across various sectors.
'Tariffs are an added challenge for our member companies at a time when operating in China is already becoming more complex,' said Alvin Liu, AmCham China chair.
Despite the challenges, however, most companies are not planning to exit China, the survey found.
'Instead, they are localising operations or shifting some production to third countries,' AmCham China said in a statement about the findings. 'None report shifting production back to the US.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
29 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
US Supreme Court allows Doge to access sensitive Social Security data of millions of Americans
The Supreme Court handed the Trump administration two victories on Friday in cases involving the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), including giving it access to Social Security systems containing personal data on millions of Americans. The justices also separately reined in orders seeking transparency at Doge, the team once led by billionaire Elon Musk. The court's conservative majority sided with the Trump administration in the first Supreme Court appeals involving Doge. The three liberal justices dissented in both cases. The Doge victories come amid a messy break-up between the president and the world's richest man that started shortly after Musk's departure from the White House and has included threats to cut government contracts and a call for the president to be impeached. The future of Doge's work isn't clear without Musk at the helm, but both men have previously said that it will continue its efforts. In one case, the high court halted an order from a judge in Maryland that had restricted the team's access to the Social Security Administration (SSA) under federal privacy laws. 'We conclude that, under the present circumstances, SSA may proceed to afford members of the SSA Doge Team access to the agency records in question in order for those members to do their work,' the court said in an unsigned order. Conservative lower-court judges have said there's no evidence at this point of Doge mishandling personal information.
South China Morning Post
38 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Asia is finally cool in the eyes of those who matter
The late Joseph Nye, who coined the term 'soft power' , often warned that US President Donald Trump's actions were harming America's reputation abroad. Meanwhile, perceptions of China and other Asian countries are on the rise. Could this indicate a shift towards the fabled ' Asian century '? More than a third of people in Southeast Asia were born since the beginning of the 21st century, amounting to more than 250 million people. As a result, none of them personally experienced the 1997 Asian financial crisis. A small minority encountered the September 11 attacks and the subsequent 'war on terror', while only a few can recall the 2008 global financial crisis. However, most of them have been directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic . Some have now entered the workforce and can afford to travel abroad. Many Southeast Asians consume a diverse range of foreign content and products online and offline. What does the world look like to them? Geopolitics is back and globalisation is no longer taken for granted. Meanwhile, regionalism might be stronger than ever, especially given Trump's 'America first' doctrine China is leading the way in shaping socioeconomic and political developments across Southeast Asia and beyond. Part of the reason for this is its Belt and Road Initiative , which has been instrumental in expanding its influence across different domains. This initiative encompasses physical and digital infrastructure, including roads, trains, bridges and the technological foundations for future connectivity such as 6G and beyond, which will power smart cities.
South China Morning Post
43 minutes ago
- South China Morning Post
Trump says his top economic officials will meet with China counterparts in London next week
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday that his top economic officials will meet with their Chinese counterparts next week to discuss trade, just days after he conducted a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping , and also reiterated that Beijing agreed to restart exports of critical minerals. 'I am pleased to announce that Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer, will be meeting in London on Monday, June 9, 2025, with Representatives of China, with reference to the Trade Deal,' Trump said on social media 'The meeting should go very well. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Already buoyed by a US jobs report on Friday that narrowly exceeded forecasts, stocks extended gains after Trump's announcement, with the benchmark S&P 500 index advancing by more than 1 per cent and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index gaining around 1.3 per cent. The talks planned for next week will come just four days after Trump held a phone call with Xi to discuss a frayed trading relationship before extending invitations to visit each other's capitals. 05:05 Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan, troubled US-China trade ties in call breaking stand-off Trump and Xi discuss Taiwan, troubled US-China trade ties in call breaking stand-off Trump said shortly after the call on Thursday that the exchange 'resulted in a very positive conclusion for both Countries'.
