US-China Tariff Truce: Should Your Business Still Operate and Expand in China?
- 5 minutes ago
- 2 min read
In this episode of the Hong Kong and China Compliance Essentials podcast, Kristina Koehler-Coluccia looks at what the 90-day US-China tariff truce actually means for companies trading with or operating in China. It runs for about seven minutes.
About the speaker
Kristina Koehler-Coluccia is Head of Business Advisory at Woodburn Accountants & Advisors. She has spent more than two decades helping foreign companies set up and run their operations in China and Hong Kong, and she leads the firm's Woodburn Academy sessions.
What this episode covers
What the temporary tariff pause does and does not change
Whether to keep transacting in China while the position is unsettled
The case for putting a local subsidiary in place rather than waiting it out
The wider trade environment and the geopolitical backdrop
Practical steps to protect the business and keep growing it
Why this matters if you trade with China
Tariff announcements move faster than corporate structures do, which is the awkward part. A truce with a fixed end date is not on its own a reason to redesign a supply chain, but it is a good moment to look at where your exposure actually sits: who invoices, who holds the customer relationship, and who carries the risk when duty rates move again. Businesses that already have a local entity tend to have more room to manoeuvre, because they can adjust pricing, contracting and sourcing inside the market rather than only at the border.
If the current position has you rethinking your set-up, the starting points are China company registration, an employer of record while you test the market, and trademark protection before somebody else registers your brand.
Watch the full episode
Thinking about setting up in China?
Woodburn Accountants & Advisors helps foreign companies register and run entities in China and Hong Kong, from company registration and trademark protection through to accounting, payroll, tax and audit. If this episode has raised questions about your own plans, get in touch with our team.