Taiwan’s Pegatron, a major supplier to Apple and Dell, said Monday that President Donald Trump’s tariffs were “confusing” American customers.
He even said they risked leading to shortages of consumer electronics in the United States, the Telegraph reports.
As the electronics manufacturer’s chairman T.H. Tung estimates, Washington’s tariffs have repeatedly created uncertainty for U.S. retailers and disrupted shipping decisions.
“Within two months, shelves in the United States … could resemble those in third-world countries, where people visit stores and markets only to find empty shelves, all because everyone is waiting and watching,” Tung warned.
This month, Trump abruptly suspended several tariffs targeting trading partners, including Vietnam, Indonesia and India, where Pegatron has manufacturing bases.
However, a 10% tax on almost all goods imported into the United States remains.
Pegatron has diversified its manufacturing locations away from China since Trump’s first term, expanding into countries in Southeast Asia as well as Mexico.