China’s small manufacturers anguish over Trump’s tariff plans
Al Jazeera
Republican candidate’s plans to slap tariffs of 60 percent or more on imports has businesses in China worried.
Taichung, Taiwan – When Li Wei took over the running of his father’s glass-making business in northern China’s Cangzhou in 2020, he immediately set about optimising the firm’s operations.
Li moved Hebei Yiyue Glass Products’ sole factory from its city location to a site outside Cangzhou, providing better access to important road networks and more space to expand the facility.
At the same time, Li changed the primary focus of the company from selling glass components to customers in China to exporting finished glass products to customers abroad.
Today, he oversees a successful export business that sells cups, pots and jars throughout the world and employs twice as many workers as when he took over.
Much of Li’s success is owed to the demand for his products in the United States, which in recent years has been the destination for as much as 80 percent of his company’s exports.
