Originally published in Industry Week

By Lou Longo

The U.S.-China trade dispute is only just starting to bite. U.S-based manufacturers and tech firms, including HP, Dell, Microsoft and Apple are reportedly planning to shift hefty chunks of their production out of China. Meanwhile, the United States is intensifying its trade fight with the European Union over aircraft subsidies, proposing new tariffs on EU goods worth $4 billion.

Recent discussions I’ve had with political representatives and trade officials from several countries have reinforced the suspicion that this could, in fact, be the new normal.

It’s tempting for businesses with international supply chains to hope that we are in some kind of freak storm that will soon blow over. On the contrary, I believe businesses need to buckle up for a long and bumpy ride as the world retreats from free trade.

Read the full article at Industry Week

Lou Longo is the International Consulting Practice Leader at Plante Moran.