US, Trump flags fly out of China factory

As the China-US trade war rages, a factory set amid corn and mulberry fields in central China stitches together US and “Trump 2020” flags — and business is good.

The US and China have slapped tariffs on billions of dollars worth of each other’s goods, but there is little evidence of the dispute at the Jiahao Flag Company in Anhui province.

Instead, as a dozen sample flags flutter outside the factory building, workers bustle and sewing machines buzz inside amid a profusion of colour from the factory’s wares.

They include a current hot-seller — blue and white banners declaring US President Donald Trump’s re-election intentions that read: “Trump 2020: Keep America Great.”

Trump has long railed against Chinese imports, pushed a “buy American” ethos, and launched the trade confrontation this year to punish China for what he considers predatory trade policies.

But the anger does not appear to extend to flags.

“We can easily sell more than 10,000 Trump 2020 campaign flags each month,” said Yao Dan, who founded the family business in 2014, though the company does not track who the ultimate buyers are.

The company makes thousands of flags daily for “just about every country, mainly for export” including to the US, said his older sister Yao Yuanyuan, 33, who manages the factory. (AFP)