TAIPEI — Suppliers to Apple, Nvidia and other major tech brands were left “stunned” after U.S. President Trump’s latest barrage of tariffs slapped some of the highest rates on Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand and other Asian economies that have been key to America lowering its reliance on Chinese production.
The “reciprocal” tariffs announced on “Liberation Day” are aimed at rectifying what the Trump administration sees as unfair trade barriers, and range from a baseline 10% rate to nearly 50% for countries with steep trade deficits with the U.S. Multiple suppliers told Nikkei Asia that the rates were far higher than expected and could force them to rethink their production footprints and investment strategies.
