The Hong Kong maker of Transformers toys rushes to ship orders for the US holiday season to beat Trump’s tariffs

Hong Kong toymaker Forward Winsome, famous for its rubber ducks, has been rushing to meet a spike in orders from American customers keen to stockpile products before they are hit by the next round of import duties

Front-loading orders – stocking up now to avoid future tariffs – is one of several tactics being used by Hong Kong firms caught up in the trade war

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Chinese shipping containers are stored beside a US flag after they were unloaded at the Port of Los Angeles in Long Beach, California. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:30pm, 10 Jun 2019Updated: 10:59pm, 10 Jun 2019

Hong Kong toymaker Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung is feeling the pressure from US President Donald Trump’s import tariffs, even though his products are not yet subject to any duties.

His company, Forward Winsome Industries, a pioneer in the manufacture of rubber ducks, has been rushing to meet a spike in orders from American customers keen to stockpile products before they are hit by the next round of tariffs.

On May 5, Trump said on Twitter that his administration would extend punitive 25 per cent duties to the remaining US$300 billion of untaxed Chinese imports. Forward Winsome’s goods, which are largely assembled at its mainland Chinese factories, would be squarely in the cross hairs.

Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung of toymaker Forward Winsome Industries pictured with some of the company’s products in June 1989. Photo: Sam Chan

“Soon after Trump’s message, we received emails from our US customers asking us to get goods to the US as soon as possible – they said no later than June,” said Lam, managing director of Forward Winsome, one of Hong Kong’s biggest toy manufacturers.

“Our orders suddenly increased substantially in May and June. Our peak season usually would be between July and September but the orders in July have been pushed forward.”

The rush of orders has created its own challenges.