Tech Giants Face Trade War Tinged Legal Battles

On today’s episode of the Tech Talk Tuesday podcast, Ryan McQueeney discusses the latest twist in the U.S-China trade war: legal battles involving some of the world’s biggest technology companies.

Remember to subscribe and leave a rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the show!

Up until recently, the ongoing “trade war” between the United States and China has consisted primarily of tit-for-tat tariffs and harsh rhetoric from both sides. That structure evolved last week, however, when Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese tech behemoth Huawei, was arrested in Canada at the request of U.S. officials.

Meng faces charges of fraud involving an alleged shell company used by Huawei to circumvent U.S. sanctions on Iran. Since Huawei has done business with American banks, this activity could indeed be fraudulent, putting Meng on track to face extradition to the U.S. and the associated consequences that would come with such a move.

There is, of course, more to the story of Meng’s arrest, as most casual viewers quickly connected the charges to the White House’s trade dispute with China. Putting one of China’s top businesspeople behind bars was interpreted by Wall Street as an escalation of the trade war, and investors worried that the progress made at the G20 summit would soon be erased.

Reports on Tuesday morning suggest those fears were at least somewhat unfounded, with trade representatives from China reportedly moving to reduce auto tariffs after agreeing to do just that at the G20 dinner.

But that doesn’t mean China wasn’t interested in levying its own legal power to hit back against a major American business. On Monday, we learned that a Chinese court ordered Apple AAPL to stop selling certain iPhone models in the country after it concluded that the tech behemoth violated Qualcomm QCOM patents.

Apple and Qualcomm have been locked in an intense legal battle for years, but it’s the timing of this decision in China that made investors think it was a direct response to the Huawei arrest. Just as the two sides used tit-for-tat tariffs to make a point, the U.S. and China have now gone shot for shot on legal blows to each other’s iconic tech brands.

Do either of these sides have a legitimate legal argument to make? Will these battles in court undermine progress made on a trade deal between the U.S. and China? On this week’s Tech Talk Tuesday, Ryan answers these questions, and more. Make sure to check it out!

If you feel that we missed something, or if you want us to cover a different story, shoot us an email at podcast@zacks.com. Make sure to check out all of our other audio content at zacks.com/podcasts, and remember to subscribe and leave us a rating!

Thanks for listening to the Zacks Tech Talk Tuesday Podcast; we will see you next time!

Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars?

Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge.

With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research.

It's not the one you think.

See This Ticker Free >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Apple Inc. (AAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research