April 10, 2025 /SemiMedia/ — Japanese electronics maker Sourcenext said on April 9 that it will establish a new manufacturing base in Vietnam to reduce exposure to U.S. tariffs on goods produced in China.

The Tokyo-based company currently manufactures its flagship Pocketalk translation devices in Shenzhen. It said the Vietnam move aims to “minimize the impact of tariff measures and maintain reasonable pricing.”

The announcement came just half an hour before the U.S. imposed a 104% tariff on Chinese imports and a 46% tariff on Vietnamese products. While Vietnam’s tariff rate remains among the region’s highest, Sourcenext noted that ongoing negotiations between Washington and Hanoi could lead to more favorable reciprocal tariff rates in the future.

Pocketalk shipments from Vietnam are scheduled to begin in September. The company added that the new tariff measures will not affect 2025 sales, as it had already shipped a year’s worth of inventory to the U.S. before the current administration took office.

Though not a semiconductor firm, Sourcenext’s relocation plan has implications for the semiconductor supply chain. The Pocketalk device integrates embedded chips, NAND flash, and wireless communication modules—components that rely on regional semiconductor ecosystems and contract manufacturing partners.