U.S. Companies’ Responses to Tariff Threats Vary Wildly

The corporate responses to a looming trade war are currently ranging from doomsday predictions of huge losses, to commitments to onshore manufacturing operations. The wide range of punitive tariffs on imports into the U.S. threatened by President Donald Trump, along with the likely retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports, are already influencing major business decisions in multiple industries.

Some appeared enthusiastic about increasing their stake in a “Made in America” approach. Apple, for example, announced February 24 it is planning to spend $500 billion over the next four years to expand its manufacturing capacity in the United States.

Nestlé’s CEO said during the company’s Q4 2024 earning call February 13 that it is largely “immune” from the impact of tariffs, because most of the products sold are manufactured in their respective markets. In the U.S., for example, Nestlé produces about 90% of what it sells domestically.

Sony confirmed during its third quarter earnings announcement for the 2024 fiscal year February 24 that it is stockpiling inventory in the U.S. to ensure there are no product shortages, reports Yahoo!…