Components Suppliers Moving Production on Tariffs, Arrow Chief Says

Tariffs that took effect Sept. 24 on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports over IP disagreements haven't hurt distributor Arrow much, but the company is nonetheless against them, said CEO Mike Long. "If one government anywhere in the world decides they’re going to increase tariffs, don’t be surprised if worldwide manufacturers” move production, as many have, he said on Thursday's Q3 call. Manufacturers are "smart enough to manufacture anywhere in the world,” and most do so “in more than one place,” he said. Long estimates about a third of customers shifted some production from China. Arrow's “real-time database” of electronics components, while not developed because of the levies showcases "the power of data" during the disputes, he said.