The US government has recently increased tariffs on some products that are manufactured in China, including many types of branded merchandise. CI-Group recognizes that these tariffs could be concerning to our clients, especially those who frequently purchase Chinese-made merchandise. Read below to learn more about the tariffs and how CI-Group is prepared to help our clients purchase the products they desire, while avoiding drastic price increases…

The Tariffs in a Nutshell

On May 10th, the U.S. increased tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion of goods manufactured in China, which includes many branded merchandise items. They also released a list of other items that could face up to a 25% tariff. If this additional tariff is enacted, it would go into effect this summer.

CI-Group’s Approach

As always, CI-Group will take a creative and consultative approach to exceed our clients’ merchandise expectations and fully meet their needs, despite the possibility of increased tariffs.

Our clients should know that not all products manufactured in China will be affected. CI-Group understands the details of the tariffs and is prepared to make product suggestions to avoid increased tariffs when necessary. We will continue offering China-made products if the project calls for them, and are committed to maintaining competitive pricing while doing so.

We will also broaden our product offering to include many more USA made products and products manufactured in countries outside of China, to be used as tariff-free alternatives.

In addition, any promotional products that are already in stock in the US will not be affected. All of our trusted suppliers have been planning for this decision and have proactively imported increased inventory for popular items.

We will continue to be transparent with our clients as global trade rules evolve, and will share timely tariff information as it relates to any upcoming custom overseas projects, so there are no surprises.

CI-Group will remain nimble and flexible and will always offer our clients creative merchandise solutions. If certain products are affected by tariffs, we are prepared to offer exciting and impactful suggestions to clients who seek alternatives. We are confident that we will continue to exceed our clients’ expectations by delivering competitively priced merchandise with the same high level of quality and service our clients are accustomed to receiving.

To learn more, contact us at letstalk@ci-group.com, or contact your account manager.