No place like home: Chinese firms stung by trade war build up domestic brands

SUMMARY

For over a decade, manufacturer Matsutek plied away at building its business with big Western brands, supplying firms such as Philips and Honeywell with products made in its Chinese factories for the U.S. and other overseas markets.That strategy paid off, helping it grow into the world's second-largest maker of robotic vacuum cleaners. But then, the Taipei-headquartered firm became one of the many corporate casualties in the escalating trade war between Washington and Beijing.

By ReutersSept 6, 2019 12:13:17 PM IST (Published)

An employee pastes a "Made in China" sticker on the box of a smart television, which will be exported to the United States, at a television factory under Zhaochi Group in Shenzhen, China August 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

An employee works on the production line of a robot vacuum cleaner factory of Matsutek in Shenzhen, China August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Employees work on the production line of a robot vacuum cleaner factory of Matsutek in Shenzhen, China August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

An employee works on the production line of a robot vacuum cleaner factory of Matsutek in Shenzhen, China August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Terry Wu, deputy general manager of Matsutek, speaks next to robot vacuum cleaners on display during an interview in Shenzhen, China August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

An employee works on the production line of a robot vacuum cleaner factory of Matsutek in Shenzhen, China August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

An employee works on the production line of a robot vacuum cleaner factory of Matsutek in Shenzhen, China August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Employees work on the production line of a robot vacuum cleaner factory of Matsutek in Shenzhen, China August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee

Employees work on the production line of a television factory under Zhaochi Group in Shenzhen, China August 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jason Lee