Opinion With president Donald Trump’s economic policies having a global impact, we ask whether US tariff changes are affecting your businesses…
The trouble
with tariffs “Uncertainty is affecting all of us, and we’re closely monitoring the evolving trade landscape. While it’s too early to measure the full impact or make any changes, we remain hopeful for a positive outcome that supports both our resellers’ business and the accessibility of our products to American consumers. We’re committed to maintaining our service standards and continuing to deliver exceptional products, regardless of the challenges.”
Daniel da Silva, president, Vista Alegre US “Yes, the changes in import duties have affected our business – and mostly for the worse. We had expected the opposite effect, hoping that retail chains would shift their orders from China to us, but unfortunately that hasn’t happened. Some companies, due to the overall uncertainty, have suspended purchasing altogether for at least two months. One company even cancelled a project we had been preparing since the Ambiente trade fair in Frankfurt, and instead placed only a small stock order. Other firms are now requesting a five per cent discount – essentially “half” of the tariff increase. Overall, however, the new tariffs haven’t made much of a difference. A 10 per cent increase is minimal compared to the energy price hikes we experienced a few years ago. What seemed promising were the proposed 145 per cent tariffs on Chinese imports. At that point, companies that previously sourced almost exclusively from China began reaching out to us. However, these tariffs were never implemented at that level. While tensions between the US and China likely remain, under normal circumstances, we do not compete directly with China. To maintain at least a basic level of fairness, it is important that the new tariffs apply across the entire EU – which is where our main competitors are based.”
Ladislav Silhan, sales director, Crystalez 128 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
70 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL
“The tariffs have been devastating for several reasons. First and foremost is the unknown rate which fluctuates making it impossible to price our product. Secondly the increased tariff has made our products too expensive. The notion that the exporting country is paying the tariff is absurd. Shame on Trump for destroying our country.” David Zrike, president, R Squared/Zrike Brands
Tariffs cause “disruption and uncertainty” Mike Raybould, chief executive, Portmeirion Group, recently commented on US tariffs in the brand’s H1 2025 Trading Update… “The imposition of additional import tariffs in the USA at the beginning of Q2 caused immediate disruption and significant uncertainty in our largest and most profitable market. We have proactively implemented a number of actions in response to these challenges and will continue to monitor the situation closely, remaining sensitive to the wider macro/ political uncertainty and its influence on consumer confidence. We progress against our 2025/26 strategic priorities which will drive a transformation of our business - our international and South Korean markets are back in growth, and the UK has seen an impressive performance from Wax Lyrical which continues to take market share.”