Le's SHDC Electronics, which sits in the budding industrial hub of Hai Duong, sells $2m (£1.5m) worth of phone and computer accessories every month to the United States. But that revenue could dry up if Trump imposes 46% tariffs on Vietnamese goods, a plan that is currently on hold until early July. That would be "catastrophic for our business," Le says. And selling to Vietnamese consumers is not an option, he adds: "We cannot compete with Chinese products. This is not just our challenge. Many Vietnamese companies are struggling in their own home market."
lørdag 19. april 2025
Trump's tariffs leave China's neighbours with an impossible choice
When US President Donald Trump hit China with tariffs in his first term, Vietnamese entrepreneur Hao Le saw an opportunity. His company is one of hundreds of businesses that have emerged to compete with Chinese exports that have increasingly been facing restrictions from the West.
Le's SHDC Electronics, which sits in the budding industrial hub of Hai Duong, sells $2m (£1.5m) worth of phone and computer accessories every month to the United States. But that revenue could dry up if Trump imposes 46% tariffs on Vietnamese goods, a plan that is currently on hold until early July. That would be "catastrophic for our business," Le says. And selling to Vietnamese consumers is not an option, he adds: "We cannot compete with Chinese products. This is not just our challenge. Many Vietnamese companies are struggling in their own home market."
Le's SHDC Electronics, which sits in the budding industrial hub of Hai Duong, sells $2m (£1.5m) worth of phone and computer accessories every month to the United States. But that revenue could dry up if Trump imposes 46% tariffs on Vietnamese goods, a plan that is currently on hold until early July. That would be "catastrophic for our business," Le says. And selling to Vietnamese consumers is not an option, he adds: "We cannot compete with Chinese products. This is not just our challenge. Many Vietnamese companies are struggling in their own home market."
