Southeast Asian Tire Industry Faces "Catastrophe": 61% US Tariff Impact, Chinese Manufacturing "Origin Washing" Fails
The "Iron Fist" of US Tariffs Directly Strikes the Southeast Asian Tire Industry! On July 7, the United States announced tariffs of 36%-40% on Thailand, Cambodia, and other countries, combined with the existing 25% tariff on automotive parts, resulting in a total tariff rate surging to 61%! Even more alarming is that the strategy of Chinese tires using Vietnam for "origin washing" exports has also been terminated — a 40% transit tariff has completely cooled off "fake Vietnamese goods"!
Southeast Asian countries originally made a fortune through "low-cost labor + transshipment trade," but now the high US tariffs have directly cut off their lifeline! For example, tire exporters from Thailand and Cambodia used to rely on "low price + label replacement" to enter the US market under the guise of "Vietnam-made," but now a 40% transit tariff has caused hundreds of dollars in profit to evaporate per tire. Worse still, tire exports from Indonesia, Serbia, and other countries also face tariffs of 35%-32%, directly causing the global tire industry chain to "break down"!
Foreign trade expert Chen Zhiyuan pointed out: "The essence of the US tariff policy is 'targeted strike,' specifically targeting countries dependent on exports. The tire industry in Southeast Asian countries lacks core technology and can only compete through low prices. Once the tariffs rise, survival itself becomes a problem. The 'origin washing' tactics of Chinese enterprises are essentially exploiting tariff loopholes, but now the loopholes have been sealed, forcing them to bear high tariffs directly."
The Financial Times of the UK commented: "The US tariff war is destroying the 'globalization dividend.' Over the past decade, Southeast Asian countries have benefited from the transfer of China's industrial chain through transshipment trade, but now the high US tariffs have rendered this model completely ineffective. The global tire market may be entering a 'reorganization period,' and only companies with core technology will survive."
Will Southeast Asian countries collectively retaliate? Or will Chinese tire companies be forced to "return"? This "tire life-or-death battle" may directly affect global car prices.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837079615278144/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.