Apple facing renewed boycott efforts in China following trade war escalation
The increase in tensions between the United States and China in its ongoing trade war, as well as restrictions against Huawei, is fueling anti-US sentiments in China, prompting more online calls from critics of the political maneuvers to boycott Apple products.
Shanghai, China
On May 10, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration followed through with promises to penalize Chinese goods imported to the country, raising tariffs for goods including some Apple accessories from 10 to 25%. The administration is also planning to implement expanded tariffs by the end of June, which could affect Apple's core products, including iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.
Chinese tech giant Huawei is also facing increased scrutiny from the United States, including an executive order on May 15 that bans U.S. businesses from using telecommunications equipment from companies considered a national security risk. Another order effectively banned Huawei from buying US technology without prior government approval, making it harder for the company to do business.
The tensions between the two countries has led to an expected rise of anger from Chinese internet users against the United States, reports Buzzfeed. As a symbol of American capitalism, Apple has again been caught in the crossfire, becoming the target for the criticism, and an attempt to encourage a boycott of its products.
Posts on Weibo urge others to consider buying Huawei smartphones and devices instead of Apple, hyping the local company's hardware and attacking the Cupertino rival.
This is not the first time Apple has become the subject of an attempted boycott. In December, amid tensions triggered by the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, companies attempted to show solidarity with the company by encouraging employees to buy Huawei goods, while simultaneously threatening to confiscate Apple devices from employees and inflicting other punishments to urge a shift away from the iPhone.
Shanghai, China
On May 10, U.S. President Donald Trump's administration followed through with promises to penalize Chinese goods imported to the country, raising tariffs for goods including some Apple accessories from 10 to 25%. The administration is also planning to implement expanded tariffs by the end of June, which could affect Apple's core products, including iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.
Chinese tech giant Huawei is also facing increased scrutiny from the United States, including an executive order on May 15 that bans U.S. businesses from using telecommunications equipment from companies considered a national security risk. Another order effectively banned Huawei from buying US technology without prior government approval, making it harder for the company to do business.
The tensions between the two countries has led to an expected rise of anger from Chinese internet users against the United States, reports Buzzfeed. As a symbol of American capitalism, Apple has again been caught in the crossfire, becoming the target for the criticism, and an attempt to encourage a boycott of its products.
Posts on Weibo urge others to consider buying Huawei smartphones and devices instead of Apple, hyping the local company's hardware and attacking the Cupertino rival.
This is not the first time Apple has become the subject of an attempted boycott. In December, amid tensions triggered by the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, companies attempted to show solidarity with the company by encouraging employees to buy Huawei goods, while simultaneously threatening to confiscate Apple devices from employees and inflicting other punishments to urge a shift away from the iPhone.
Comments
I believe Huawei has been stockpiling certain components for a while now and increasing the amount of home grown technology in its equipment. Obviously these moves are to protect itself but they come at the cost of lost business for US companies.
It used to be the Federal Government was paid for by Tariffs, not taxing the American people!!! While prices will go up a little, its not a huge deal. There are also products made in other countries. Manufacturing is slowly growing in the U.S once again. It left this country for China for many, many many years, so coming back here is not going to happen overnight. It's also had been slowly moving out of China to other country's as China's costs have been growing over the years.
When TAXES go up, I just buy less. Do you really need all that China made garbage or can you do without some of it? Really, these Tariffs hurt China far more than the U.S. as Trade has been so imbalanced. When you really think about it, has it really effected you? Probably not. For example I upgrade my iPhone every 4 years. So last year, getting the XS, I won't be upgrading until 2022. Maybe these tariff wars will be over by then? If not, and the phone is a little more, well I did get 4 years out of it. Then again, to make up for the higher prices, maybe I go 5 years with this one? I could have gone 5 years with the iPhone 6 I had. It still worked fine. Smartphones are a mature market these days. Not a whole lot changing. A little faster. Apple supports their older hardware for a number of years. So new iOS updates is almost like getting a new phone anyway.
But the way this policy is being implemented, especially in the context of lots of other dumb stuff going on, means it probably isn't going to be all that effective. It might even end up backfiring. Sad!
Westerners who don’t understand China well needs to understand them as they truly are.. a greedy nation and an aggressor.
There has been little impact to US companies because it's just a matter of math. China accounts for 2% of our economy. We account for about 20% of theirs. I don't US companies are all that concerned. The media will tell you otherwise, because most of it has to make every move the Orange Man makes seem like WWIII, but it's not the case. I think most people understand that the "trade war" is one China can't win, and that it was long past time we stood up to their international thievery. The tariffs are a temporary measure to create leverage. There may be some short term moderate pain, but that's about it.
If you keep looking for enemies you will find them.
To my mind the US needs an army and a navy enough to defend against Mexico and Canada. Maybe at a stretch a blue water fleet to patrol the near Atlantic and Pacific. Beyond that there are no real interests.
But back to AAPL, I would get out for now, as the Chinese public may boycott the iPhones.
This is the kind of misinformation I see time and time again. While tariffs can be said to be a tax, they aren't exactly equivalent. They are also not being done for their own sake---they are being used as leverage. Trump's stated goal is a fair trade deal that protects our companies, IP, and overall nation. We don't have that right now.
As for the tax cut, you're wrong twice: First, revenue is not down. It is up (in fact...that's a dated article. It was up again recently). It is spending that is completely out of control. It seems like neither party particularly gives a damn about it. Secondly, the tax cut did not go exclusively to the 1%. In fact, as a percentage, the cuts benefited the lower and middle classes far more. Many people earning between 30-100K a year saw major tax deductions. The people who paid more or saw very little cut are upper middle income people in high tax states, often who take a large amount of employee business deductions (e.g me). On the corporate side, there was a significant revenue decline because of the major corporate rate cut. That is recovering as well....but it will take longer due to size of the cut. Of course, people pay taxes in the end, not corporations, so how much of that is really "lost" is up for debate.
I don't what you are talking about with "China sales." In theory, prices will go up on many items. How much really depends. I don't know what you mean by the average American not being able to afford Chinese-made goods. It's unlikely that a 25% tariff causes a direct 25% price hike. Even if long-term (and I don't think it will be), there are other mitigating factors in prices.
IP: Again, you're way off base here. IP is directly tied to trade. China does forced tech transfers, engages is corporate espionage, IP theft, and communo-captialism at alarming rates. Tell me...don't you think China stealing IP and then selling it back to us through quasi-state owned companies involves trade? The trade and tariff issue can and is being used as leverage on the IP front.
I don't know whether or not Trump understands a "combined EU-US approach," or if he thinks its necessary. I don't know what you have in mind, but it seems to me we have plenty of leverage on our own to deal with China's behavior in trade and world affairs in general. They depend on us to buy their products to the tune of a $500 billion per year trade deficit. Trump's approach has already contributed to their growth rate being 30% lower than its two-decade average. Unlike the US, China needs double digit growth to expand. 9% (about where they are) is alarming to them. 5% is a nightmare scenario. They also have 300 million people who live in abject poverty, as well as a working class that is used to rocket-like economic growth in the suburban and urban areas. The point is, they have to make a deal, and they know it. We might have some short term consequences, but the reality is that with just a few years transition, we could eliminate all trade with China and still have a growing economy. They can't do that. The only option they have is a "nuclear" scenario, where they dump trillions in U.S. treasuries onto the market. This would tank the U.S. and likely global equities markets, cause interest to skyrocket, and likely put us into a recession in short order. The problem is, that's a self-destruct button for China, for reasons I would think are obvious.
Most of what the Trump administration has done has been far from "dumb." I would say the rollout of the original travel ban was botched. They also failed to communicate the reasons behind continued/increased "family" separation at the border. Those were mostly PR blunders, so I guess you could call them "dumb." But on policy? I'd be interested to know what you're talking about.
That is why I mentioned Boeing. It has long been known that China wants to shake up the Airbus/Boeing duopoly. It's first effort has just been delayed by a couple of years I believe. In 5G it has largely succeeded in laying the groundwork for a major role. In AI it (through Huawei et al) is ploughing ahead. High speed rail etc.
If there is going to be a revolution of sorts over the next two decades, China is quite well placed.
Donald Trump is basically demanding that the US 'win' the challenge and will stop at nothing to get it. Anyone can play as long as he wins. It could backfire in a huge way. The EU has recently begun a very similar roadmap to forge its own destiny. It has nothing to do with being anti US and everything to do with having more control of its future.
That doesn't sit well with some people.