Updated February 2026 | Multi-hub manufacturing
The Supreme Court just proved what we've been saying for 2 years:
You can't bet your entire supply chain on tariff predictions.
On February 20, 2026, the court struck down Trump's global tariffs as illegal.
$130 billion in collected tariffs. Gone. Potentially refundable.
Trump's response? Impose new 15% global tariffs under a different law. Temporary. 5 months maximum before requiring Congressional approval.
Then what?
Nobody knows.
And importers who made billion-dollar production decisions based on tariff certainty - whether staying in China OR moving to Vietnam - just got hit with chaos.
The ruling:
The result:
Not certainty. Not clarity.
Maximum policy chaos.
For the past 2 years, importers split into two camps:
Camp 1: "Stay in China"
Camp 2: "Exit China"
February 2026:
Camp 1 result:
Camp 2 result:
Both camps lost.
Because both made the same mistake:
They bet everything on one country based on tariff predictions that lasted less than 2 years.
This isn't the first time tariff policy whiplash destroyed supply chain strategies.
2018: Section 301 tariffs hit China. Everyone scrambles to Vietnam.
2020: COVID shuts down Vietnam. Everyone realizes single-country risk.
2022: Vietnam labor costs spike 15-20%. India becomes "the answer."
2023: India struggles with infrastructure and timeline reliability. Indonesia emerges.
2024: UFLPA scrutiny hits Vietnam (Chinese inputs). "Real" Vietnam origin required.
2025: Trump threatens 60% China tariffs. Panic relocations accelerate.
2026: Supreme Court strikes down tariffs. Imposes new temporary 15% global tariffs.
The pattern:
Policy changes every 12-24 months.
Single-country strategies break every time.
Allie Renison, former UK trade adviser: "Trade just got a lot messier."
Here's the reality now:
You're not managing "China strategy" or "Vietnam strategy."
You're managing:
You can't "move to Vietnam" and call it strategy.
You can't "optimize China" and ignore the rest.
You need operational capability across multiple hubs so policy chaos doesn't destroy you.
Let's say you're a $10M-$50M importer.
What you paid:
What you got:
What you're facing now:
What you paid:
What you got:
What you're facing now:
Both scenarios lost because both bet everything on one country.
When you're all-in on one location, you're vulnerable to:
Policy whiplash
Geopolitical events
Local disruptions
Supplier failures
When you're single-country, any one of these kills you.
Here's what importers with multi-hub infrastructure did during this chaos:
They didn't panic.
Because they weren't betting everything on one country.
When China tariffs hit:
When UFLPA scrutiny increased:
When Supreme Court struck down tariffs:
When new 15% global tariffs hit:
They weathered policy chaos because they had infrastructure in multiple locations.
It's not "have suppliers in multiple countries."
It's:
Not: Sales reps or trading company "partners"
Yes: Local teams who live there, speak the language, understand the culture
Not: Copy-paste China contracts for Vietnam
Yes:
Not: Translators or remote coordinators
Yes: People who understand how each country actually works:
Not: One agent who "covers" multiple countries
Yes: Direct contracts with factories in:
Not: "Same QC standards everywhere"
Yes: Quality control adapted to:
Not: Starting from zero when policy shifts
Yes: Ability to shift production between hubs without 12-month rebuilds
Lesson 1: Tariff policy is unpredictable
Tariffs that were "permanent" lasted less than 2 years and got struck down as illegal.
New tariffs are temporary (5 months) with unknown outcome after that.
Stop building strategy around tariff predictions.
Lesson 2: Single-country exposure is maximum risk
Whether it's China or Vietnam, betting everything on one location means policy whiplash destroys you.
Build geographic flexibility.
Lesson 3: Transition costs are real
Moving production isn't free. It costs $200K-$400K and 12-18 months of pain.
If you do it every time policy changes, you bleed cash.
Build infrastructure once, pivot efficiently.
Lesson 4: Operational excellence beats tariff arbitrage
The importers who survived this chaos aren't the ones who predicted tariffs correctly.
They're the ones who:
Control what you can control. Build resilience for what you can't.
If you're 100% in China:
Don't panic and move everything to Vietnam.
But build optionality:
If you're 100% in Vietnam:
Don't assume you're safe from tariffs (you're facing 15% global now).
Build optionality:
If you're splitting between China/Vietnam:
Good start. But don't stop there.
If you're just starting manufacturing in Asia:
Don't pick "one country."
Build multi-hub infrastructure from day one:
We don't tell you to "exit China" or "move to Vietnam."
We build multi-hub manufacturing infrastructure so policy chaos doesn't destroy you.
Boots on the ground in each hub:
Legal framework per jurisdiction:
Cultural operators:
Direct factory access:
Cross-hub coordination:
When tariffs hit China, we shift volume to Vietnam without destroying China capability.
When UFLPA scrutiny increases, we verify origin and move exposed products to India.
When Supreme Court chaos hits, we optimize across all hubs without panic.
We don't bet on one country. We give you control across Asia.
Q: Isn't multi-hub more expensive than single-country?
Up front, yes. Long term, no. Every time you panic-relocate because of tariff changes, you spend $200K-$400K and lose 12-18 months. Multi-hub infrastructure costs more initially but saves you from repeated expensive transitions when policy shifts.
Q: Can I just use one agent who "covers" multiple countries?
Most "multi-country agents" are Hong Kong or Singapore trading companies with sales reps, not boots-on-the-ground teams. When problems emerge, they coordinate remotely just like you would. Real multi-hub means local presence, local legal framework, local enforcement capability in each location.
Q: Should I move everything out of China right now?
No. China is still the most reliable manufacturing infrastructure in Asia. But you should build optionality so you're not vulnerable when policy shifts. Start with 20-30% volume in Vietnam or India while maintaining China as your proven base.
Q: What if the 15% global tariffs become permanent?
Then optimize across all hubs. HTS classification, production efficiency, supplier negotiations work regardless of tariff rates. The key is having infrastructure in multiple locations so you can shift production to wherever makes sense operationally AND financially.
Q: How long does it take to build multi-hub infrastructure?
3-6 months if you do it right. Factory identification, legal framework setup, initial production runs, quality system installation. Compared to 12-18 months of panic relocation every time policy changes.