Production at Ningbo Bright Electric in Ninghai, China, on July 2. One of the most surprising outcomes from a whiplash year of tariffs may be that China has emerged in a position of relative strength, with significantly lower tariffs than last year. | Qilai Shen / The New York Times
Jul 30, 2026
MAP YANG PHON, Thailand – On a dusty piece of land south of Bangkok, a flashlight factory stands full of promise. Workers hunch over tables gluing components. But only half the land has been built. Parts of the factory stand empty, waiting for future production lines.
The factory is owned by a Chinese manufacturer that makes flashlights for American customers. When U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on China hit 145% last year, companies embarked on a panicked search for cheaper alternatives in countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, including this facility.
But since then, U.S. tariffs on China have come down sharply, leaving the leaders of some of those same companies with second thoughts.
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