Translation and trade wars – why accuracy is key

Trade wars can have long-lasting political and economic consequences for the countries involved. With the US taking an increasingly bullish stance to its trading relationship with China, we’re seeing the initial impact of the current trade war play out in real time. 

Analysts at J P Morgan have observed that China’s efforts to fix its economy are being hampered by the trade war with the US. China is already working to address its debt situation, meaning that a trade war right now is particularly tricky for the country to handle. The analysts have suggested that China’s best course of action would be to enact fiscal measures or ease its monetary policy. 

However, it is not just at a national level that the impact of the trade war is causing concern. Tariffs can have a significant impact on business sentiment and confidence, which in turn impacts on investment, stifling innovation and growth. All of this adds to the long-lasting effect that tariffs have and means that it can take longer for a country to counteract them. 

Still, at an individual business level, there are steps that companies can take to ensure that the consequences of trade wars are eased so far as possible. While hot-tempered national leaders may be happy to let political ties worsen, there is no reason that company leaders must do the same. Instead, using professional translation services to ensure smooth, effective communication is a great way to keep dialogue flowing. Accuracy in the translation is key, as it means that messages don’t get distorted along the way and escalate into a souring of the business relationship. 

Using localization services is also an excellent idea. The process of localization means that local cultural considerations are taken into account when documents are converted into another language. Thus companies in the US can ensure that their translated materials will sit well with Chinese audiences, and vice versa. 

Ultimately, there is little that individual companies can do to calm the situation between their politicians and those of other nations. However, they can ensure that they keep their cool and ensure that their operations flow as smoothly as possible until the trade wars have ended. 

For more information on professional translation and localization services for businesses, contact Tomedes.