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As new US trade tariffs reshape the global supply chain, manufacturers and distributors are facing new cost pressures, operational uncertainty, and the challenge of maintaining service levels across borders.
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With President Trump’s 2025 tariffs introducing up to 25% duties on key imports and exports, both UK and US businesses need to rethink sourcing, pricing, and logistics strategies - fast.
In this blog, we explore the top challenges facing manufacturers and distributors, outline practical steps for navigating the new trade environment, and show how Klipboard’s ERP and business solutions support you every step of the way.
The global tariffs led by the USA in 2025, predominantly targeting imports from China, the EU, and the UK, have disrupted long-standing supplier relationships, pricing models, and logistics planning. UK manufacturers and distributors are seeing rising costs and longer clearance times when exporting goods to the US. Distributors and manufacturers based in the US that are reliant on global parts and goods face reduced availability and margin erosion.
This is no longer a theoretical risk - it’s an operational reality, and businesses must act quickly to avoid long-term effects on their operations.
The Common Challenges Facing Manufacturers & Distributors Due to Tariffs in 2025
- Skyrocketing Costs: Tariffs of up to 25% are making goods more expensive, cutting into margins and pricing power.
- Supply Chain Disruption: Customs delays, unpredictable shipping times, and compliance issues are causing missed deadlines.
- Regulatory Pressure: Accurate documentation and product origin tracking are more important - and more complex - than ever.
- Cash Flow Uncertainty and unpredictable landed costs: The need to stockpile ahead of new tariffs or absorb cost increases is placing strain on working capital.
What You Can Do: Five Proven Strategies to Stay Ahead
Based on guidance from the Oxford College of Procurement & Supply and leading trade advisors, here are five practical strategies to help your business minimise disruption and regain control:
1. Reassess Your Sourcing Strategy
Businesses are reducing risk exposure by identifying alternative suppliers in tariff-free markets, nearshoring, or dual-sourcing to avoid dependency on a single region.
How Klipboard helps:
With Klipboard’s business management tools, you can track supplier performance, manage multiple sources per item, and switch orders quickly when market conditions shift. Supplier costs are updated in real-time, so procurement decisions stay accurate and aligned with current trade realities.
2. Optimise Inventory & Lead Times
To avoid over-ordering and unnecessary capital tie-up, businesses are improving stock forecasting and adjusting order cycles to match new lead time realities.
How Klipboard helps:
Our ERP features real-time inventory visibility, automated stock replenishment, and customisable demand forecasting that allows you to adapt based on actual sales and supplier performance. You’ll stay lean without risking stockouts - even when lead times change.
3. Redesign Products or Rethink Your Mix
Forward-thinking businesses are modifying product designs and catalogue inventories to reduce their reliance on tariffed parts, and on even shifting their focus to lower-cost alternatives.
How Klipboard helps:
Klipboard’s manufacturing solutions support full Bill of Materials and component tracking, allowing you to model alternate part configurations and instantly calculate cost and margin impact before making a change.
4. Strengthen Supply Chain Collaboration
Clear and close collaboration is key to reducing supply chain friction. Distributors should be working more closely with their logistics partners than ever to stay aligned and improve forecasting, helping to meet customer expectations.
How Klipboard helps:
Our solutions provide real-time visibility across your supply chain. From smart picking and packing with ePick, through to last-mile delivery with our delivery management software, your teams and partners are always connected, with live tracking, ePODs, and automated alerts.
5. Improve Financial Agility & Forecasting
To manage volatility, businesses need to look at gaining tighter cost controls, better landed cost tracking, and faster reconciliation.
How Klipboard helps:
Our ERP solutions, such as ERPOne, enable businesses to automate their entire order-to-invoice process. From initial sales order processing, all the way through to reconciliation, payment matching, and invoicing. It’s fast, accurate, and automated, giving you great control over your financial operations.
How to Build Operational Resilience and Minimise the Impact of Tariffs on your Business with Klipboard
We offer a fully integrated and modular suite of ERP and business management tools tailored to wholesale distribution, automotive, rental, field service, manufacturing, retail and transport management. Whether you’re adjusting pricing due to tariff increases, resourcing materials from new suppliers, or needing better visibility across your operations, we provide a platform that’s fast, flexible, and built for change management.
Our solutions include:
- Real-time inventory management and demand forecasting
- Multi-supplier and landed cost tracking
- Automated compliance and documentation workflows
- AI-powered sales and support assistants
- Automated order-to-invoicing
- Flexible payment solutions with Klipboard money
- End-to-end visibility from sourcing to delivery
Stay Competitive, Stay Connected
Trade uncertainty isn’t going away. But with the Klipboard as your partner, and the right digital tools and strategies, your business can continue to grow, serve customers, and remain profitable - even as the global trade environment continues to shift.
Want to Go Deeper? Download our region-specific whitepapers:
Ready to build tariff-resistant operations? Talk to our solutions team or Request a personalised demo.
