The business gaming book for chaos price

Shock. It was the first response to the Trump administration’s tariff dam.

Companies that depend on imported products expected rights, which President Trump had promised. But not as high, this universal or sudden, without almost the time to adapt. A rate of 145% on all Chinese products, after all, looks more like a commercial wall than a simple barrier.

But the shock settles in reality and business leaders are trying to manage. Here are the main bugs that companies have – at least for the moment, since the functions that the White House declares today can change tomorrow.

Move from China, preferably yesterday

For many importers, this series of prices is not as painful as it would have been eight years ago. Mr. Trump’s first trade war, in 2018, while more millet, pushed a lot to diversify their source beyond China. The COVID-19 pandemic sent another signal than dependence on a single market, as inexpensive and efficient, is reckless.

For William Westendorf, director general of the Air-Titite Products medical supply distributor, the final straw was a 100% price on Chinese manufacturing syringes imposed by the Biden administration last fall. He sent a staff member to browse Europe for a factory that could meet the demanding standards of the Food and Drug Administration.

After six months of hunting and hoop jumping – and with Chinese syringes now 245% tariff in total – Mr. Westendorf has an expedition on the way to Turkey. It is a lucky timing because factories outside of China are flooded with orders.

“This is not something that you can do very quickly because of the regulatory environment,” said Westendorf. “Fortunately, we were there early.”