Navigating the New Tariff Terrain: What Manufacturers Need to Know Now, Ep #16

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Tariffs aren’t just a line item buried in your supply chain—they’re a fast-moving, often misunderstood force that could have a massive impact on your profitability, pricing, and even your global strategy. In this eye-opening episode of Buy the Numbers, Jennifer Clement and Leslie Boyd from CLA join me for a masterclass in tariff mitigation strategies. As volatility re-emerges on the global trade front, Jennifer and Leslie offer clarity, practical steps, and a proactive roadmap that manufacturers of all sizes can follow.

Jennifer and Leslie break down the reality that waiting for the rules to settle is no longer a viable plan. Instead, they introduce a three-bucket framework that helps businesses act now, in six months, and long-term—everything from basic “tariff hygiene” and invoice scrubbing to more advanced strategies like tariff engineering, duty drawback, and setting up foreign trade zones.

The conversation also dives into how manufacturers can hold their vendors accountable, optimize their pricing inputs, and think creatively about global operations in a world where tariffs can change mid-shipment. Whether you’re sourcing machines from overseas or fielding questions from customers about cost projections, this episode equips you to speak the language of tariffs fluently—and use that fluency to your financial advantage.

Rounding out the discussion is a preview of CLA’s upcoming webinar series, a free, multi-part educational deep dive for manufacturers who want to master cost control in a tariff-heavy environment. This isn’t just about playing defense—it’s about making moves that could shield your margins, even amid economic uncertainty.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

(0:00) Understanding why tariffs are urgent now and how they impact manufacturers
(0:14) Learning how CLA helps manufacturers grow their top and bottom line
(1:35) Getting to know Leslie Boyd and Jennifer Clemente from CLA
(4:38) Discovering why a proactive strategy is essential despite tariff volatility
(6:13) Clarifying common misconceptions about tariffs and pricing strategies
(10:17) Exploring Bucket #1: “Good tariff hygiene” and how invoice scrubbing can save you
(17:30) Learning additional compliance strategies like transfer pricing and duty drawback
(18:38) Hearing about the Lights Out podcast and automation trends in manufacturing
(20:21) Understanding how currency hedging can protect against cost fluctuations
(22:16) Breaking down the first sale rule and how it reduces tariff costs
(24:55) Exploring Bucket #2: Using bonded warehouses and free trade zones to defer tariffs
(28:19) Learning how tariff engineering can reduce exposure by rethinking product design
(30:44) Exploring Bucket #3: Re-imagining supply chains and reshoring for long-term gains
(33:51) Understanding the process and odds of getting tariff relief through exclusions
(36:10) Getting an overview of CLA’s upcoming webinar series on tariff mitigation strategies
(40:24) Completing the Top Shops survey to benchmark your shop against the industry