Farfetch Brushes Off China Concerns Amid Worsening Trade Dispute

Many companies are in a panic as the tit-for-tat trade war between the U.S. and China reaches a boiling point — and yet more tariffs loom. But luxury platform Farfetch isn’t one of them. The company is launching on JD.com’s platform through its planned acquisition of Toplife, which is expected to be completed by June, and is charging ahead in China. José Neves, founder, chief executive officer and cochair of Farfetch, told analysts on a conference call following the release of the company’s first-quarter results that the impact of all new levies between the two superpowers is “immaterial” to his business. “The U.S. is really a tiny fraction of our supply into China and China into the U.S. is zero,” he said, adding that 90 percent of sales in China are European products and that is unlikely to change. Brushing off concerns over the effect of the escalating trade dispute on the Asian giant’s economy, he was bullish about its future, stressing that it is a very “resilient market,” especially due to its young, digitally savvy consumers. “China remains an absolute strategic priority for all brands in the industry,” he said, noting that it’s the fastest-growing luxury goods market. “Brands know that they need to

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