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China & India IN. The USA OUT? Tariffs, Alliances & Supply Chains [Podcast]

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Global manufacturing is entering a more volatile era. Tariffs are changing with little warning, political alliances are becoming less predictable, and supply chains that once felt stable now carry real strategic risk. In this episode of China Manufacturing Decoded, Adrian and Renaud discuss what these shifts mean in practice for companies that actually make physical products. Using the latest U.S.–India tariff deal as a case study, they explain why China still matters, why India is becoming increasingly important, and how smart manufacturers should think about “China + 1,” not as a political statement, but as a practical way to reduce risk, control costs, and keep products flowing to market.

Listen here

Listen to the episode or watch on YouTube

Episode Sections:

  • 01:07 – The big question: are U.S. allies turning toward China, or simply hedging?
  • 07:29 – Evidence that many countries are deepening economic ties with China — and why China’s export machine keeps getting stronger.
  • 15:21 – Economics vs. defense: why Europe can engage China commercially while still relying heavily on the U.S. and NATO for security.
  • 19:07 – Why India is the most interesting case after its border clash with China and its earlier “de-risking” push.
  • 24:27 – How the U.S.–India negotiation unfolded and what led to the flat 18% tariff deal.
  • 26:10 – What the deal means for electronics and why India becomes a serious “China + 1” assembly option.
  • 30:08 – India’s new trade win with the EU — zero tariffs for many goods, and why opening will stay gradual.
  • 32:04 – Signs of an India–China thaw: faster customs, pressure to buy Chinese machinery, and the looming EV debate.
  • 34:42 – Practical takeaway for manufacturers: keep China for depth, add India for resilience (and Sofeast’s India capability)

Further reading

Image credit

“Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits China” by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street on Flickr (https://flickr.com/photos/49707497@N06/55065624892), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

India Overtakes China in US Smartphone Shipments (Q2 ’25): What It Really Means [Podcast]

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Adrian and Renaud explore a significant shift in global electronics production: India surpassing China as the top smartphone exporter to the USA. The discussion covers why this change happened so fast, how Apple and other big tech firms adapted, what this means for SMEs, and how Sofeast is now expanding its own manufacturing footprint in India.

Listen here

Listen to the episode or watch on YouTube

Show sections

  • 00:00 – India overtakes China in US smartphone shipments
  • 02:20 – How tariffs and trade tensions triggered the shift
  • 03:45 – Why smartphone assembly moved to India so quickly
  • 07:40 – Apple and others had a head start with India SKD kits
  • 11:53 – Vietnam’s rising share and India’s long-term potential
  • 13:46 – Apple pushes its supply chain to South India
  • 18:17 – Can SMEs benefit from the India shift like Apple?
  • 22:10 – Should you move production to India now?
  • 25:21 – The Sofeast Group’s expansion into India
  • 31:58 – Final thoughts on India’s emergence

Extra resources

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Where is Chinese manufacturing capacity being relocated to in the Asia Pacific in 2023?

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Where is Chinese manufacturing capacity being relocated to in the Asia Pacific in 2023If we said that nothing is changing when it comes to outsourcing manufacturing to suppliers in China we wouldn’t be being entirely truthful. Now that the Covid pandemic is in the past, businesses are starting to look at where their Asian supply chains are now and where they need to be in the coming years. For example, it’s no secret that some US businesses are trying to nearshore manufacturing that is taking place in China now to Mexico largely due to the political landscape between the two giants.

So, where does this leave you? Well, KPMG recently produced a report co-authored by a friend of Sofeast, Prof. Neale O’Connor, titled: Charting a new course in Asia Pacific. So, in this post, we’re going to share and comment on some of its data and information about supply chain moves out of China that could help you make decisions on where you could/should be sourcing and manufacturing.

Continue reading “Where is Chinese manufacturing capacity being relocated to in the Asia Pacific in 2023?”

Further confirmation that India’s exports to North America are booming

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Further confirmation that India’s exports to North America are boomingA fairly recent Journal of Commerce article titled: “Cheaper than China: India–US trade surges as sourcing slowly shifts away from China,” gives us even more confirmation that exports from the Subcontinent to North America are booming to China’s cost.

Continue reading “Further confirmation that India’s exports to North America are booming”

List of Packaging Companies In India (15 choices)

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”li-aero”]15 Packaging Companies In IndiaChina is hard to compete with when sourcing suppliers for all kinds of products, however, India is an emerging option for products and services that China used to corner the market in such as PCBs and plastic injection molding. For those needing packaging, retail boxes, tape, plastic wrap, etc, packaging companies in India are also an increasingly attractive option, so let’s explore some companies and their features to help get your sourcing started.

Continue reading “List of Packaging Companies In India (15 choices)”

List of PCB Manufacturing Companies in India

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]list of pcb manufacturing companies in indiaPrinted circuit boards or PCBs are an integral part of most of today’s electronics and consumer products, from industrial robots to automobiles to toasters. While many are manufactured in China, there are a growing number of PCB manufacturing companies in India to choose from.

Continue reading “List of PCB Manufacturing Companies in India”

Manufacture in China, Vietnam, India, or Elsewhere in 2021? [Podcast]

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Manufacturers continue to plan the move of some or all of their supply chains out of China? But where next?

Perhaps the word ‘exodus’ is a little over-dramatic, but there has certainly been a marked rise in companies trying to diversify their manufacturing operations away from China alone since around 2018. One reason is the US/China trade war and the punitive tariffs imposed by the US government on some ‘Made-In-China’ goods, but we can’t discount the coronavirus pandemic, as the manufacturing shutdown in Spring 2020 sent shockwaves through the industry and really hurt many companies who were unable to get their products or components from China.

Manufacture in China, Vietnam, India, or Elsewhere in 2021So how about your business? If you’re manufacturing in China right now, is moving some operations to another country, perhaps in SE Asia, or India, part of your plan for 2021 and beyond?

This is what Renaud explores in this episode, the final episode of 2020! So listen and learn about the situation in China, other local countries, and why ‘leaving China’ may not be as easy or realistic as the media seem to make it appear.

 

Just hit the play button to start listening..!

Listen to the episode right here 👇👇👇

🎧 Manufacture in China, Vietnam, India, or Elsewhere in 2021? 🎧

Here’s a summary of key sections of this episode:

✅ What has caused some companies to move operations away from China in recent years.

✅ Is the trend of moving supply chains out of China still realistic and ongoing? 

✅ What challenges do smaller companies face when trying to make the switch? 

✅ Why companies who have designed and developed their own products are at an advantage. 

✅ Is it possible to do assembly AND get components in Vietnam? 

✅ Foxconn’s new Apple plant in Northern Vietnam. 

✅ Is assembly and packing done in SE Asia a way to circumvent US tariffs? 

✅ Has India benefited from companies moving out of China yet? 

✅ What does a Biden presidency mean for American companies? 

✅ How have Chinese exports to the US and other countries started booming in 2020 due to the pandemic?

✅ How are logistics coping in late 2020 due to the boom in China?

✅ Are non-American companies also trying to move away from China? If so, why?

✅ If your business sells in the China market, is it wise to move operations out of China?

 

Keep reading about how to maintain and improve results from Chinese manufacturers here:

Take a look at these blog posts and news articles which accompany this topic:

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Have you already moved some manufacturing out of China? Is it in your plan for 2021 or beyond?

Let us know your experiences by leaving a comment, please.

 

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