China Manufacturing Decoded

What does manufacturing in China for the U.S. really look like in 2026?

In this episode, we share the full audio from a live presentation by Fabien Gaussorgues, CEO of Agilian Technology, on the risks and opportunities facing companies that import from China into the United States.

Fabien breaks down the current tariff landscape, including recent changes, and explains why tariffs are now structural, not temporary. If you’re sourcing electronics, electromechanical products, or components from China, this is essential listening.

You’ll learn:

How Section 301 and new reciprocal tariffs impact landed cost

Why “China+1” isn’t as simple as shifting final assembly

What “substantial transformation” really means under U.S. Customs rules

The hidden cost of longer lead times and locked-up working capital

Real-world comparisons: Shenzhen vs. Malaysia production timelines

When U.S. or Mexico manufacturing makes economic sense

The realistic 2026 scenario for U.S.–China trade (and why full decoupling is unlikely)

How to design a supply chain based on total cost of ownership, not slogans

Fabien also answers audience questions on supplier diversification, automation in China, labor shifts inland, and how to think about tariff risk without overreacting.

If you’re a product company, importer, operations leader, or founder manufacturing in China, or considering moving production to Vietnam, India, Mexico, or the U.S., this episode will help you make decisions grounded in operational reality.

This is not a theory. It’s what’s happening on the ground right now.

Listen in and decide how you’ll structure your supply chain for 2026 and beyond.

 

Episode Sections:

02:42 - Manufacturing Risks and Opportunities

08:25 - Navigating Tariff Challenges

11:23 - China Plus One Strategy

13:20 - Substantial Transformation Explained

15:06 - Final Assembly Considerations

21:13 - Moving Production Out of China

22:32 - Risks of Full Decoupling

25:19 - Key Takeaways for Businesses

28:07 - Audience Questions and Insights

53:52 - Closing Remarks and Future Insights

 

Related content…

Download the accompanying PPT here.

 

This episode is brought to you by The Sofeast Group and includes links in the show notes to our blog posts and resources, and recommended books. For help with manufacturing in Asia, inspections, auditing, new product development, contract manufacturing, 3PL warehousing and fulfillment, visit sofeast.com. 

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Renaud delivers this emergency bonus podcast to provide a timely update on the news of February 21, 2026, after a landmark 6–3 U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down many of the tariffs imposed during President Trump’s second term. The episode explains which measures were affected, the immediate legal and financial fallout, and provides expert analysis of the political and strategic responses.

For manufacturers, importers, and supply-chain managers, Renaud also outlines the operational implications.

 

P.S.
Later on 21/2/26, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "I, as President of the United States of America, will be, effective immediately, raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff on Countries, many of which have been ‘ripping’ the U.S. off for decades, without retribution (until I came along!), to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level.” - so this confirms the 15% temporary tariff level from 24/2/26 for an initial 150 days, except on some goods such as critical metals, minerals, and pharmaceutical products. USMCA-compliant goods from Canada and Mexico are also exempted.

 

Episode Sections:

00:23 – Introduction to Recent Tariff Changes

02:48 – Reimbursement for Importers

03:46 – New Tariff Plans and Manufacturing Uncertainty

07:54 – Concerns Over the US Dollar

08:57 – Upcoming Webinar Announcement

09:44 – Wrap-up

 

Related content…

Supreme Court rules Trump's tariffs illegal - CNN

Supreme Court Trump tariff decision impact: What to expect as fight for billions in refunds begins - CNBC

Trump raises tariffs to 15% on imports from all countries - The Guardian

 

Confused about how the latest tariff news will affect your business?
On February 25 at 11 AM Eastern Time, there will be a free online panel that YOU can join for free, "Refining Your Global Supply Chain Strategy," with Renaud's business partner, Agilian CEO Fabien Gaussorgues. The panel will provide insights on global supply chain and manufacturing strategies for companies that sell products in the USA market. In it, they'll explain the current situation, the very recent changes and what that may mean for importers.

The signup page is here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeDT_BUwqxJPxCy7pKXd8kyFgDh0QiUSiXXbmb0mTkIzejPg/viewform

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How do you choose the right manufacturing process and avoid production bottlenecks? Adrian and Paul explain how volume, materials, tolerances, and cost determine whether to use injection molding, CNC machining, or die casting. They also cover common bottlenecks, including supplier capacity limits, component shortages, and assembly line imbalances, and how Design for Manufacturing (DFM) helps prevent delays and reduce production risk.

 

Episode Sections:

01:02 – The core question: choosing the right manufacturing process and avoiding bottlenecks

02:16 – Why the answer depends on your product, volume, and requirements

03:57 – Injection molding vs CNC machining: when each process makes sense

07:07 – How product materials and operating conditions affect process selection

09:24 – Real example: smartwatch housings and choosing between CNC and die casting

12:12 – How Design for Manufacturing (DFM) helps determine the right process early

16:07 – Where production bottlenecks usually begin: supplier and subcontractor capacity

19:07 – Why factory capacity and growth planning matter for long-term production

20:45 – Skilled labor risks and the impact of worker turnover on quality and output

23:39 – Component shortages and how incorrect part selection can delay production by months

26:24 – Assembly line bottlenecks and how unbalanced production slows output

28:14 – How manufacturers fix bottlenecks with line balancing and automation

30:30 – Why visiting your factory helps identify risks and improve production efficiency

31:03 – Key takeaways: process selection, DFM, supplier capacity, and bottleneck prevention

 

Related content…

Design for Manufacturing (DFM): Why process selection starts at the design stage

10 Factors Affecting Supplier Production Capacity

Optimizing Assembly Line Flow and Efficiency

Electronic Component Selection: Avoiding Supply Chain Bottlenecks

 

This episode is brought to you by The Sofeast Group and includes links in the show notes to our blog posts and resources, and recommended books. For help with manufacturing in Asia, inspections, auditing, new product development, contract manufacturing, 3PL warehousing and fulfillment, visit sofeast.com. 

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Most hardware teams don’t fail because of engineering; they fail because they misread the market.

In episode 314 of China Manufacturing Decoded, Adrian speaks with Renaud Anjoran about how product teams can answer three make-or-break questions before investing in prototypes, tooling, and mass production:

Is there real demand?
Why “friends and family” feedback is misleading, what strong validation actually looks like (interviews, deposits, LOIs, and real use tests), and how to run low-cost market experiments.

Who is the target customer?
How to move beyond “everyone” to a precise, reachable segment using hypothesis testing, interviews, and smart segmentation by industry, company size, and behavior.

What features do customers truly want?
A practical deep-dive into qualitative research, using a real-world example, showing how to identify must-have features, spot patterns across 20–30 interviews, and avoid costly over-engineering.

Renaud explains why customer development must run in parallel with product development, how to de-risk market acceptance early, and why teams should avoid multiple prototype rounds without clear market proof.

If you’re bringing a physical product to market, whether consumer or B2B, this episode is a practical playbook for reducing risk, saving money, and increasing your chances of success.

 

Episode Sections:

00:00 – Intro: The big question — are you building what people will actually buy?

01:04 – Is there real demand? (customer discovery first)

09:40 – Who is the target customer? (segmentation beats ‘everyone’)

15:35 – What features do customers actually want? (listen for patterns)

24:30 – Three lessons before you spend on tooling.

25:25 – Close & resources.

 

Related content…

Agilian Technology — “The 3 Major Hardware Startup Killers: Part 1 – The Market.”

Agilian Technology — “How to do Qualitative Market Research for a New Product.”

Sofeast — “3 New Product Launch Tips for E-commerce Sellers.”

QualityInspection.org — “9 Key Questions When Developing A New Product (Part 1).”

QualityInspection.org — “The 8-Step Customer Journey Manufacturers Need To Consider.”

The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you by Robert Fitzpatrick

The Right It: Why So Many Ideas Fail and How to Make Sure Yours Succeed
by Alberto Savoia

The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products that Win
by Steve Blank

 

This episode is brought to you by The Sofeast Group and includes links in the show notes to our blog posts and resources, and recommended books. For help with manufacturing in Asia, inspections, auditing, new product development, contract manufacturing, 3PL warehousing and fulfillment, visit sofeast.com. Tune in to learn concrete steps to ensure you’re building something people will actually buy.

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In episode 313 of China Manufacturing Decoded, hosts Adrian and Renaud look beyond headlines about U.S. tariffs to a bigger shift in global manufacturing politics: many traditional U.S. allies are deepening economic engagement with China while still hedging strategically with the U.S. Against that backdrop, a new U.S.–India tariff deal (18% for most goods, with key exemptions) makes India increasingly attractive as a “China +1” location, especially for consumer electronics, but China remains irreplaceable for early-stage development and deep supply chains.

You should listen because rapid shifts in tariffs, geopolitics, and supply chains are reshaping where products can be made profitably.

 

Episode Sections:

01:07 – The big question: are U.S. allies turning toward China, or simply hedging? 

07:29 – Evidence that many countries are deepening economic ties with China — and why China’s export machine keeps getting stronger.

15:21 – Economics vs. defense: why Europe can engage China commercially while still relying heavily on the U.S. and NATO for security. 

19:07 – Why India is the most interesting case after its border clash with China and its earlier “de-risking” push. 

24:27 – How the U.S.–India negotiation unfolded and what led to the flat 18% tariff deal. 

26:10 – What the deal means for electronics and why India becomes a serious “China + 1” assembly option. 

30:08 – India’s new trade win with the EU — zero tariffs for many goods, and why opening will stay gradual. 

32:04 – Signs of an India–China thaw: faster customs, pressure to buy Chinese machinery, and the looming EV debate. 

34:42 – Practical takeaway for manufacturers: keep China for depth, add India for resilience (and Sofeast’s India capability)

 

Related content…

WSJ - U.S. Will Cut Tariffs on India to 18% in Trade Deal

Reuters — South Korea, China, Japan trade dialogue

Reuters — Germany still closer to U.S. than China

Financial Times — EU hedging concerns

WSJ — U.S. India tariff deal & smartphone export surge

The Sofeast Group's Indian Facility - Serenial

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