Markets

More than 50 companies reportedly pull production out of China due to trade war

Key Points
  • In wake of the intensifying trade battle between the U.S. and China, more and more companies announced plans to shift manufacturing from China.
  • American personal computer makers HP and Dell could move up to 30% of their notebook production in China to Southeast Asia, according to Nikkei.
President Trump says US-China trade talks have a long way to go
VIDEO1:5501:55
President Trump says US-China trade talks have a long way to go

The pace of companies moving production out of China is accelerating as more than 50 multinationals from Apple to Nintendo to Dell are rushing to escape the punitive tariffs placed by the U.S., according to the Nikkei Asian review.

The trade war between the U.S. and China has dragged on for more than a year with 25% tariffs placed on $200 billion of Chinese goods. President Donald Trump is still threatening to slap duties on another $325 billion of goods. In wake of the intensifying battle, more and more companies announced plans or are considering shifting manufacturing from China.

American personal computer makers HP and Dell could move up to 30% of their notebook production in China to Southeast Asia, Nikkei reported. Apple has asked its major suppliers to assess the cost implications of moving 15% to 30% of their production capacity from China to India, according to an earlier report from the Nikkei.

Japan's Nintendo is also going to pull a portion of its video game console production from China to Vietnam, according to Nikkei.

Not only are foreign companies rethinking its production location, a handful of Chinese companies are also leaving China. Chinese multinational electronics company TCL is moving its TV production to Vietnam, while Chinese tire maker Sailun Tire is transitioning its manufacturing line to Thailand, Nikkei reported.

The prolonged trade battle seems to be taking a toll on the Chinese economy. Data on Monday showed its economic growth slowed to 6.2% in the second quarter — the weakest rate in at least 27 years.

Trump claimed the slower growth is evidence that China is losing the trade war as the country faces an exodus of companies.

"The United States Tariffs are having a major effect on companies wanting to leave China for non-tariffed countries. Thousands of companies are leaving. This is why China wants to make a deal," Trump said in a twitter post on Monday.

—Click here to read the original story from the Nikkei Asian Review.