Preparing for Trump Tariffs: What Not to Do (Production Pulse)

With last week’s election of Donald J. Trump to a second term in the White House, the big question for the manufacturing community is what to expect in trade policy. On the campaign trail, Trump made higher tariffs, especially in Chinese imports, a centerpiece of his agenda.

Supply chain and legal experts say companies should prepare for a different trade environment, but don’t try to be clever or overreact. Back in 2018, some companies tried to avoid the first round of Trump tariffs by trying to hide the country of origin of their goods.

It didn’t go well for them.

So, be skeptical about vendor claims that they can insulate you from trade changes.

But, at the same time, don’t expect things to change too quickly or spend wildly to build up inventory in expectations of higher prices. That strategy often leads to higher costs and rarely saves much in the long run.

Sharing these insights and others, as part of IndustryWeek’s regular Production Pulse livestream were:

• Jeremy Tancredi, partner in West Monroe's supply chain practice
• Dan Swartz, international tax services principal, Crowe
• Gregory Husisian, partner at Foley & Lardner LLP
• Jill Jusko, IndustryWeek’s executive editor