US companies in China are facing a backlash from the intensifying trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, with almost half the members of a US business lobby group in the country reporting they have been hit with retaliatory measures.
Roughly 47 per cent of the members of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and a similar group based in Shanghai said that on top of recently imposed tariffs, they faced retaliation such as slower customs clearance, more inspections and delayed approvals for licences, according to a survey released on Wednesday.
About a third of the 239 American companies surveyed said they were cancelling or delaying investments in China while about 40 per cent said they were considering relocating manufacturing facilities outside of China, with south-east Asia and Mexico among the favoured destinations.