Ricoh to Move Manufacturing Out of China

According to The Epoch Times, due to the China-US trade war and Chinese economic downturn, Japanese company Ricoh is moving its production out of China to reduce costs, and is preparing to transfer its printer production line to Thailand. On Jan. 5, Ricoh, the Japanese producer of electronics and office equipment, announced that it would be relocating a factory out of China, according to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA), citing Japan’s Kyodo News.

Once the decision comes into effect, Ricoh will be able to restart production in Thailand within two months.

An employee who has worked at Ricoh’s Shenzhen branch for 10 years confirmed to RFA that some of the company’s factories are moving their production lines to Thailand. The employee, who did not want his name to be publicized, said the company relocated its factories for reasons of cost-effectiveness.

But Ricoh is also building a new factory in Dongguan, China, as its new manufacturing center. The moving just includes some production lines or it means all of the manufacturing will move out of China, is not clear now.