The article discusses the immediate impact of tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on steel and aluminium imports, which raised costs substantially for companies like Goodfellow. As businesses brace for potentially even harsher tariffs in the future, many manufacturers are scrambling to adjust their supply chains. The uncertainty forced companies to start discussions with clients about expediting orders, leading to increased shipping costs and altered logistics strategies. Overall, the recent tariff announcements have disrupted decades of established international trade relationships, leading to significant market turmoil and concern among supply chain specialists.
At the stroke of a pen, on a US presidential executive order, about $100,000 was added to the cost of one of the shipments on board, from the UK advanced materials manufacturer Goodfellow, destined for a US customer.
Supply chain specialists are concerned that complex international trade networks built over decades risk being ripped up, as companies set about the complicated task of working out if they can source their products from different countries.
Several clients got in touch trying to get ahead of Trump's threatened second-term tariffs. We had conversations with people about whether [orders] could be sped up to pull them forward.
The scale of the tariffs surprised many, prompting manufacturers of goods from car parts to chocolate to shift more stock or re-route products, sending the cost of short-term shipping contracts and air freight higher.
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