GoPro will make 'most' of its US cameras outside of China
It's hoping to avoid the effects of US tariffs.
China and the US may have declared a tariff truce (however tentative), but GoPro isn't taking any chances. It's moving "most" of its US-bound action camera production out of China by summer 2019 to reduce the effect of any potential tariff increases. The decision will help diversify manufacturing "regardless of tariff implications," the company said, and shouldn't cost much when it already owns its manufacturing equipment and just needs to switch facilities.
International production will stay in China, GoPro said.
There's an important omission, though: GoPro didn't give a destination for its US-oriented production. It's not necessarily going to the US, and history would suggest that you might not see stateside GoPro manufacturing. It's not just that labor costs can be less expensive abroad -- it's that GoPro might have access to a larger, more flexible workforce, not to mention partner companies and resources that are relatively close by. Like it or not, the tariffs don't necessarily provide a strong incentive for domestic production.
