Does more news of tariffs concern you about your ability to fulfill orders? Consider this your sign to rethink where you source your shipping materials. If you import packaging today, you’re budgeting for a moving target. Tariffs, freight rates, and customs rules can all change between the day you place a purchase order and when those cartons reach the dock.
Below, we define tariffs and how they affect the packaging industry, and explore the benefits of buying from U.S. manufacturers.
What to know about tariffs
A tariff is a government tax on goods crossing its border. By raising the price of imported products, tariffs aim to protect domestic industries and generate revenue for public budgets. The added cost is usually passed along the supply chain, meaning businesses and consumers pay more for the items affected.
In early April 2025, the U.S. government layered “baseline” tariff on every import and signaled even higher “reciprocal” rates for countries that run large trade surpluses with the United States.
Since then, the rates have changed multiple times and vary depending on the country. There is much to keep apprised of, and no one knows what will happen next.
Additional costs associated with tariffs
Tariffs are only the headline. Importers also pay brokerage fees, harbor maintenance, merchandise‑processing charges and, in many cases, port demurrage while containers wait for inspection. All of those costs land on finished goods, squeeze margins, and complicate pricing.
Tariffs introduce an element of uncertainty. Changes in trade policies or tariff rates can make pricing and procurement decisions more challenging — especially for importers. For example, if a new tariff is imposed on products they’ve already committed to buying, an importer might face sudden cost increases before they can shift their pricing to the consumer.
For brands that rely on fast‑turn e‑commerce mailers or retail-ready protective packaging, the math is increasingly simple: buying from a U.S.‑based manufacturer can eliminate some of the unknowns of sourcing from abroad-located vendors.
Factoring in time as an expense
Cost isn’t the only penalty for importing. Under usual circumstances, transit time from most Asian ports to a U.S. warehouse averages 30–40 days door‑to‑door, with seasonal port congestion often stretching that timeline even further.
Speed also brings financial benefits: import tariffs must be paid before your goods leave port, tying up capital weeks or even months before a sale, whereas domestic orders are often invoiced on receipt or net‑30, keeping cash in your business.
Five ways U.S. manufacturing lowers total cost
Unit price alone rarely tells the whole story; what matters is the full, landed cost of getting packaging to your door and ready for use. Here are five ways choosing a U.S. manufacturer can shrink that total far more than most import quotes suggest.
- Tariff immunity
Goods that never cross a border aren’t subject to new duties, the global tariff, or whatever comes after the 90‑day pause. You avoid the paperwork, too. - Stable freight rates
Domestic LTL and parcel shipping rates typically change only modestly from one season to the next, while trans‑Pacific ocean spot prices can spike or crash by multiples of their starting point in the same timeframe. That stability on the land side makes freight costs — and your own pricing — much easier to forecast. - Lower compliance overhead
Instead of harmonized‑code misclassification headaches, surprise anti‑dumping cases, or Certificates of Origin to chase, your teams can spend their time on growth, not customs entries. - Speed‑to‑shelf advantage
New marketing campaign? Seasonal color? Domestic converters can change a print plate or film gauge this month, not next quarter, so you capture revenue while the trend is hot. - Reduced damage and waste
Shorter trips mean fewer hand‑offs. Product arrives in better shape, shrinkage goes down, and you spend less on replacing damaged inventory.
Sustainability bonus of sourcing packaging locally
Shorter shipping distances cut greenhouse‑gas emissions and let you tout a smaller carbon footprint — an advantage when retailers and consumers continue to prioritize sustainability. Additionally, when your business utilizes a U.S. supplier (that just happens to be conveniently located closer to your distribution hubs), you can sidestep the global tariff and any future duties that might kick in once the current pause ends.
Source your shipping materials locally from PAC Worldwide
Tariffs are politics; they can change overnight. What doesn’t change is the value of cost certainty and supply‑chain speed. When you buy packaging from a U.S. manufacturer like PAC Worldwide, you sidestep unpredictable import duties, slash lead times, free up working capital, and add resilience your finance team — and your customers — will appreciate.
The next tariff headline is already drafting itself. Make sure your packaging strategy is built to ignore it. Reach out today to learn more about our shipping material options.
