US-China trade war fuels job uncertainty in mainland’s cross-border businesses

April marked a sharp shift in the global trade landscape. For employees at companies reliant on cross-border business, it also ushered in a period of deep job uncertainty.

Doris Zhang joined a Shenzhen-based tech company that targets the US market in January. As a fresh graduate, it was her first job, and she was drawn to the promise of designing and executing marketing campaigns for overseas consumers.

But as US President Donald Trump escalated tariffs on Chinese products to 145 per cent in early April, bringing the effective tariff rate to about 156 per cent, her boss announced a restructuring plan that will hit her department with significant lay-offs.

The initial cost-cutting strategy, Zhang heard, had involved cutting employee benefits to reduce costs. That didn’t happen, but the department’s restructuring – set to be finalised in May – has left her frustrated and her job at risk.

“I don’t even know if I can pass probation,” Zhang said, noting that a colleague in her department had failed to become a full-time employee despite meeting all her previously set goals.

“Now I have no motivation to work – I don’t even have the energy to open recruiting apps and look for new job opportunities.”

In response to US tariff hikes, China has raised new levies on American imports to 125 per cent. For Anna Yang, a purchaser at an electronics company in Shenzhen, the shift has seen her moved from the foreign to domestic sourcing department.