US imports from Vietnam and other countries soar in the middle of the Chinese trade war

Instead, a number of other countries are benefiting from Trump's trade war, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau.

Trump has recently extended his trade war to Mexico, for which he is threatened with 5% tariffs from Monday. Tariffs are paid by importers, who may choose to bear the costs or pbad them on to consumers, although in some cases foreign manufacturers have also reduced their prices.

Yet, he also acknowledged that his trade wars led to manufacturing elsewhere – which appealed to China but did not do much for US consumers.

"In addition, tariffs can be completely avoided if you buy in a non-tariffed country, or if you buy the product in the US (the best idea) .This is the zero tariff.Many tariffed companies will leave China for Vietnam and others in Asia, which is why China wants to close a deal so badly! "Trump tweeted last month.

"There is a litany of countries that shoe companies will consider before coming to the United States," said Matt Priest, president and CEO of Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, adding that "the United States is not really a country. option".

But other countries are. Shoe companies will probably start by relocating their production to Vietnam, where shoe manufacturing already exists and where it is easy to get Chinese materials across the border, said Priest.

"I think the idea that everything must be done here ignores the economic facts of the global supply chain of the 21st century," he said.

Even before Trump began to impose tariffs, part of the production was leaving China because of rising wages in that country. US imports from countries such as Vietnam and South Korea have been steadily increasing over the last decade.

"The current trade dispute certainly accelerates this trend," said Russell Price, chief economist at Ameriprise Financial.

Taiwan and South Korea are more focused on high-tech items such as smartphones and semiconductors, but places like Vietnam still offer competitive wages, making it an attractive place for clothing and shoes.