SHANGHAI ¨C Had the United States kept tariffs on Chinese imports at triple digits for just one more day last year, Huntar Company would have collapsed, said David Cheung, who runs the family-owned toy maker with his brother Jason.
When Washington and Beijing reached a trade truce in Geneva on May 12 last year, rolling back the most-punishing levies, Huntar¡¯s production moulds were about to clear Chinese customs as ?the company made a last-ditch bid for survival by moving some production to Vietnam.
The Cheungs called back the shipment as soon as they ?heard ?the news, realizing only later the firm¡¯s ¡°11th hour¡± decision had saved their business. Allowing the moulds to cross the border ?would have forced Huntar to install the equipment in Vietnam or return the tools to China through time-consuming customs procedures. Either scenario would have delayed output by the equivalent of two production cycles ¡ª costing the firm vital cash flow.
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