Donald Trump’s four years in power have ‘totally changed manufacturing’, say US firms forced to rethink supply chains
- Trump’s presidency has forced many American firms to rethink China supply chains, but few plan to return to the US
- Manufacturers are hoping for less volatility after November’s US election, even if most think tariffs will persist
When Donald Trump was elected US President in 2016, almost all of M Group Corporation’s high-end hotel furniture fittings were made in China.
Now, after four years of being pummelled by anti-dumping duties, tariffs and extreme political volatility, about 50 per cent is made in China, with the balance of production scattered around Vietnam, Malaysia and Eastern Europe.
“We eventually came up with a solution, and the only real winner was my frequent flier programme,” said the American company’s president H. David Murray. “My eldest son and I travelled just about all over the world to find resources.”
First Trump slapped 341 per cent anti-dumping duties on Chinese-made quartz worktops, then followed up with tariffs and duties on millwork cabinets, vanity bases, kitchen cabinets and headboards.
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“All that stuff came under assault from anti-dumping, because the political climate in the United States is really good for that right now,” Murray said.