Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast Reshoring in 2025 – Strategies for Navigating Tariffs and Trade Uncertainty
Jul 24, 2025
Rosemary Coates, executive director of the Reshoring Institute and president of Blue Silk Consulting, draws on over 30 years of expertise in reshoring and supply chain management. She discusses how businesses are grappling with reshoring challenges in 2025, especially amid shifting tariffs and trade policies. The conversation dives into the impact of tariff fluctuations on operations, labor skill gaps, and the importance of integrating young talent into manufacturing. Coates also highlights the significance of community colleges in closing workforce gaps.
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Tariff Uncertainty Challenges Businesses
- Tariff policies are unpredictable, creating a "bullwhip effect" of constant uncertainty for businesses.
- Companies struggle to plan due to frequent on-and-off tariff changes and performative politics.
Executives Stuck but Planning Ahead
- Executives interviewed were immobilized by economic uncertainty, making no immediate investments.
- Behind the scenes, they actively developed multiple contingency plans to navigate volatility.
Funding Drives Manufacturing Ecosystem
- Major US acts fueling manufacturing growth face uncertain continuation under the Trump administration.
- Projects like semiconductor plants energize entire supply chains but risk slowdown if funding stops.
