Sharp Corp. is preparing to move its plants in China that make personal computers and multipurpose machines for the U.S. market to other countries.

Dai Zhengwu, Sharp's president and chairman, announced the plan during a news conference on May 27.

Sharp is taking the action to protect itself against the U.S. government’s imposition of additional tariffs on Chinese goods. If the increased tariffs are applied to Sharp’s products, the firm said it will relocate the plants.

The U.S. government said earlier this month that a “fourth shot” will be taken in its expanding trade war with Beijing, in which the country will slap further tariffs on China’s goods, including daily commodities such as mobile phones and TVs.

That would mean almost all items exported from China to the United States would be hit with the increased tariffs.

Sharp said it will consolidate its plants for multipurpose machines in China and Thailand being made for the United States, into its plants in Thailand.

Sharp is also considering transferring its Chinese plants for producing personal computers for the United States to Taiwan or Vietnam.

Manufacturing bases in China for making liquid crystal panels including electronic blackboards operated by Sharp’s Taiwan parent company, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., will move to Hon Hai plants in Mexico.

The products Sharp exports from China to the United States account for only 3.8 percent of Sharp-labeled goods on the global market.

Dai said transferring the production bases to other countries will lower the degree of adverse impact on Sharp from the U.S.-China trade conflict.

Dai added it benefits Sharp that the U.S. government prohibited U.S. companies from exporting their products to Huawei Technologies Co., China’s largest communication device manufacturer.

“This is the positive impact (from the U.S.-China trade conflict),” Dai said.

“We will grab the market share (from Huawei Technologies) and gain momentum from the event to expand Sharp,” he added expressing the company’s intention to surpass its rival in marketing smartphones and communications devices.

Dai also clearly stated he will remain chairman until fiscal 2021, as how long he would stay at Sharp had been attracting speculation.

Dai said candidates to succeed him as president of Sharp will be “under consideration in an open manner among those within and outside the company.”

This policy differs from what Dai had planned. Previously, he intended to choose one of Sharp's co-CEOs for the position.

Dai will also return to Hon Hai Precision Industry’s management team since its current chairman, Terry Gou, has stepped down to run in Taiwan’s presidential election.