The scale of the shift
72% of trade professionals identified US tariff volatility as the most impactful regulatory change in 2026, a dramatic increase from just 41% the previous year. Supply chain concerns have doubled year-over-year as companies scramble to adapt to unprecedented regulatory complexity and cost pressure.
Where UK importers are exposed
Businesses importing goods with US-linked components, or re-exporting into US markets, are absorbing cost swings that are difficult to price into fixed-term contracts. Pharmaceutical tariffs are phasing in through September, and the US-China rare earths truce is due to expire in November, both adding further near-term uncertainty.
Managing exposure without overreacting
Build tariff-contingency clauses into new supplier contracts, model landed cost under multiple tariff scenarios rather than a single assumption, and identify which product lines have credible non-US-exposed alternatives. Reacting only when a tariff change lands is consistently more expensive than planning for volatility in advance.
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