Is there a way to use --esModuleInterop in tsconfig as opposed to it being a flag?

Yes, do "esModuleInterop": true in your tsconfig.json. For every flag option that can be passed to the CLI, the same can usually be done this way in the config file. Doing tsc --init on the command line generates a tsconfig full of comments explaining all of the available options.

EDIT: I've learned that the behavior of esModuleInterop is dependent on what is set to module.

If you have "module": "commonjs", you only need to enable "esModuleInterop": true.

If you have "module": "es2015" or "module": "esnext", you also have to enable "allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true in order to import CommonJS modules (like React) as a default.

I have also faced the same issue,

• This issue is specific to typescript version
• Perform below steps to remove it ( It worked for me)

1. In your project, inside package.json file - verify that you have typescript under the dependencies devDependencies{ "typescript": "^2.5.2" }
2. check the installed version of the typescript on your system by typing tsc -version command in terminal

• this will show the installed version of typescript at global level
• o/p version - 2.9.1

3. Change version number insider package.json file with the version installed on your system.

devDependencies{ "typescript": "^2.9.1" }

Hope this will work!!!!!!!!!!!!