Guidance for Navigating Tariffs and International Shipments
April 25, 2025
Please note that PPS continues to work closely with strategically sourced Preferred Vendors to manage pricing on their contracts to mitigate the impact of tariffs. Below are strategies being used by PPS. Departments and schools should consider some of these strategies when working directly with vendors as well:- Review what the existing agreement says about price changes.
- Avoid agreeing to blanket statements from vendors to accept tariffs or price increases attributed to tariffs.
- Plan ahead for longer lead times or pricing shifts—especially for international purchases.
- Use Preferred Vendors and iBuyNU whenever possible to leverage favorable contracts and strategic relationships.
- Look for alternative vendors.
- Work with PPS early when major or sensitive procurements involve international suppliers.
- Notify PPS if you suspect a supplier is opportunistically and unfairly increasing its pricing.
- Request the following of vendors:
- Explore alternative options that may help minimize the tariff.
- Provide a breakdown of components (for large and complex equipment).
- Produce a detailed explanation on how the tariffs are impacting the price.
- Negotiate with the supplier to share the tariff costs (for sole source goods).
- Lock-in pricing or document price increase terms (for long term relationships).
- Avoid one-off international orders that may result in unexpected tariffs, customs fees, or shipment delays.
- Leverage standard product configurations in highly impacted areas like technology where some suppliers are securing inventory to hedge against market volatility.
In summary, assess your current and future procurement needs, explore domestic sources or from countries not subject to high tariffs, and stay informed of changes in policies. Ultimately, on an order by order basis, departments and schools will need to decide whether they feel the tariff needs to be paid.
Preferred Customs Broker for Importing
If you’re bringing goods into the U.S. from abroad, coordinate with Deltamax, Northwestern’s preferred customs broker. Using Deltamax ensures:
- Compliance with U.S. Customs regulations
- Accurate classification and valuation of goods
- Timely and efficient customs clearance
Any fees related to these services are to be paid by the department/school.
DeltaMax can be reached at jv@deltamaxchicago.com for help coordinating the delivery of your purchase or contact Reggie Lee, manager of Logistics at Northwestern University, for assistance at reginald.lee@northwestern.edu.