Tariffs Dropped from 145% to 30% — But Importers Still Aren’t Safe | Survive the Tariffs Podcast Ep 6
The tariffs dropped. But the danger didn’t.
In episode 6 of Survive the Tariffs, we unpack the sudden whiplash-inducing shift from 145% to 30% tariffs on Chinese imports — and why that sudden relief could be more of a trap than triumph.
Host Paul Edwick is joined by Wade and Jessica for a no-spin, no-fluff analysis of what business leaders need to be doing right now — not just to respond, but to survive.
You'll learn:
- Why the market of January 19 isn’t coming back — and why some SKUs need to stay dead.
- What to do with stock that landed at the worst possible time.
- How July 8 and August 12 deadlines could still detonate your Q4 strategy.
- Why “renegotiation” isn’t a silver bullet — and what smart importers are really asking for.
- How to spot misalignment across ops, finance, and sales before it costs you.
- Why Apple’s iPhone dodged tariffs — and your cartons of toys didn’t.
Plus: penguin jokes, real numbers, bad bank calls, and one very simple checklist for Monday morning.
This isn’t a recovery story. It’s a survival playbook — and it’s Episode 6 of Survive the Tariffs.
Transcript
Well, that was unexpected. One minute it's 145% tariffs on China,
Speaker:next minute, poof, we're at 30%. Time to pop the champagne?
Speaker:Not so fast.
Speaker:Welcome to Survive The Tariffs: Episode 6.
Speaker:I'm Paul Edwick and today, we're unpacking what just happened, what still might happen, and
Speaker:what in the name of penguins and electronics factories on remote islands you should do next.
Speaker:I'm joined again by Wade and Jessica, two US voices bringing the business frontlines
Speaker:into focus. Wade's been through this rodeo before.
Speaker:Jessica, she's feisty and full of questions, which frankly is what we all need right now.
Speaker:Thanks, Paul. I'm still trying to decide if this week's tariff news is a relief or just another punch
Speaker:in the face.
Speaker:Yeah, tariffs down, stocks up. And I'm still waking up at 3:00 A.M.
Speaker:wondering what to do about our August shipments.
Speaker:Okay, let's rewind the chaos. First, there was the original 10%
Speaker:tariff on China. That was supposed to send a message.
Speaker:Then it leapt to 25%. Then- then 100%, then- then 145%.
Speaker:Now, with less than 48 hours notice, we're back down to 30%.
Speaker:What happening?
Speaker:And just to make things more confusing,
Speaker:It's
Speaker:got a short shelf life
Speaker:expiring on August 12th.
Speaker:Right,
Speaker:and let's not forget this didn't come with a press conference or a roadmap.
Speaker:It came through a late-night press release that half our legal team didn't see until the next morning.
Speaker:I had sales assuming we were back to business as usual.
Speaker:30% sounds manageable, but the CFO's still stuck trying to explain why our landed
Speaker:cost on a May 13th container just doubled again.
Speaker:That's where the internal noise starts. Sales sees opportunity, finance sees blood.
Speaker:And unless someone's clearly steering the ship, you end up with a team reacting in different
Speaker:directions,
Speaker:and that's when mistakes happen.
Speaker:That's the killer. These aren't future orders.
Speaker:These are shipments we booked in February, manufactured in March, on the water in
Speaker:April, landed in May. And the tariff you pay depends entirely on which side
Speaker:of midnight your container hit port.
Speaker:As
Speaker:Yep.
Speaker:And if you're thinking, "Surely, that gets adjusted?" Uh-uh, no, no compensation, no
Speaker:refund. Just remember, this is the tariff lottery with no second draw.
Speaker:The mood swings are brutal. It's not just the cost, it's the planning whiplash.
Speaker:One day I'm modeling pricing at 145%, the next I'm told we're competitive
Speaker:again. And no one tells you if this is a blip or a baseline.
Speaker:The stock market sees a 30% headline and throws a party, then turn and ask
Speaker:business people. They see the fine print and break into a sweat.
Speaker:And to complicate it all, we're seeing reports, not announcements, just sources close to the
Speaker:administration that 30% might be the long-term rate.
Speaker:Trump even said in an interview that 80% of importers didn't need China anyway, and that
Speaker:30% was a fair baseline. Of course, he also said, "Tariffs are paid by China,"
Speaker:which as we know is fantasy.
Speaker:So yeah, welcome to the new normal. 145% is off the
Speaker:table for now. 30% is on for now. And we've got a little under
Speaker:90 days before we find out what comes next.
Speaker:But the headlines only tell half the story.
Speaker:There's a deeper risk hiding in the calendar. And Jessica, you've been tracking this closely.
Speaker:Okay, I need to get this off my chest straightaway.
Speaker:We're now living under two different 90-day deadlines.
Speaker:And nobody around me even seems to realize it.
Speaker:The first is for the Liberation Day tariffs, which covers countries like Vietnam, Lesotho,
Speaker:and almost all of the world's low-cost production zones.
Speaker:That suspension ends July 8th.
Speaker:The second is for the so-called reduction from 145% to 30% on
Speaker:imports from China. That expires August 12th.
Speaker:So we're playing the old kid's game of hopscotch with sourcing strategies and purchase orders while
Speaker:trying to guess which of these bombs goes off first.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Yeah, and I'm already getting asked what the post-August scenario looks like by our logistics
Speaker:team. Crystal ball, anybody?
Speaker:The problem is we barely know what the pre-August scenario actually is.
Speaker:This isn't just noise. These two deadlines are freighted with real costs and real consequences.
Speaker:Exactly. And in any case, the only thing we actually know is that the deadlines are definitive.
Speaker:There could be agreement before then slapped on at two-days' notice, or the deadline could get pushed
Speaker:back. Reality is what the negotiators are up to is complicated.
Speaker:So to me, extra time looks realistic.
Speaker:And yet when you read the press, it's all vague optimism.
Speaker:We're told the Vietnam negotiations are progressing well.
Speaker:The UK has a framework deal,
Speaker:Uh-huh.
Speaker:... but it still includes tariffs, even though UK is one of the few countries USA runs a trade
Speaker:surplus with. Again, most of the media comment on an agreement when, in reality, it's a
Speaker:framework with big issues still to be agreed.
Speaker:Like, there's no clarity on sector carve-outs, volume thresholds, or even what counts as
Speaker:compliance.
Speaker:It's not a strategy. It's a mood. We're making three- to six-month sourcing decisions on shifting
Speaker:sentiment. That's not how global supply chains operate,
Speaker:and it's not how our management have been trained to think.
Speaker:Too many are out spotting problems without bringing solutions to the table. Agreed?
Speaker:It's been firefighting all year. And if we're honest, if ops, sales, and finance aren't
Speaker:working off the same assumptions, then we're not managing chaos, we're manufacturing
Speaker:it.
Speaker:And apart from that, we're not hedge funds. We don't get to place bets on market movements minute by minute.
Speaker:We place orders. They take 90 to 120 days to arrive, and then we live with the
Speaker:consequences.
Speaker:Guys, you're both spot on. Two deadlines, zero predictability, but as we
Speaker:know, underneath are real obligations.
Speaker:So if I lock in orders now, they could hit just after July 8th or just after August
Speaker:12th, meaning I might miss today's 30%-rate completely, but no clue on what
Speaker:I should plan around.It feels like I'm trying to cross a minefield with a calendar
Speaker:instead of a map.
Speaker:Which brings us back to why business people need breathing space, because making decisions in this
Speaker:fog is like... well, it's like trusting a seal to run your routing algorithms.
Speaker:Just so long as it's not one of those penguins from Heard Island.
Speaker:I hear they're militant now, just took over the electronics lab.
Speaker:Yeah, they're probably doing a better job than the guys writing these tariff schedules.
Speaker:Okay, let's move forwards. The media keeps saying companies are relocating, but from where I'm
Speaker:sitting, you can't just flip a switch.
Speaker:Exactly. The fact is deep supply chains don't rebuild overnight.
Speaker:20 years ago, I saw a Vietnamese textile factory relabeling boxes from China
Speaker:with a country of origin that was yet another country.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:That's definitely illegal. There's no escaping that.
Speaker:And equally definitely, it's something I am opposed to whatever the circumstances, but that was a
Speaker:workaround then and quite likely it might still be now.
Speaker:But even if China can ghost export through Vietnam, it can't do it at scale.
Speaker:These alternate geographies can't absorb full capacity.
Speaker:Let's talk apparel and accessories. We've got some big numbers coming up.
Speaker:In total, US imports for this category reached $84 billion in 2024.
Speaker:And out that, the top 10 countries accounted for 76%.
Speaker:So we're not just talking about a few big suppliers. This is global concentration.
Speaker:Exactly. And right at the top are China and Vietnam.
Speaker:China shipped $16.5 billion. Vietnam followed with 14.9
Speaker:billion. Together, they make up nearly 40% of total US imports in this space.
Speaker:And I'm guessing the next few countries drop off pretty fast?
Speaker:They do. The next eight biggest countries combined just about match China and Vietnam.
Speaker:That shows you how dominant those two are.
Speaker:And yet the media makes it sound like you can just pivot to another country like flipping a switch.
Speaker:Let's test that logic. Say we want to move just 25% of our apparel volume out
Speaker:of China. Not just you, everyone. If all of us redirected that
Speaker:25% to Mexico, we'd be shipping more apparel than Mexico currently exports to the
Speaker:US in total.
Speaker:So we'd be asking Mexico to more than double its apparel output basically overnight?
Speaker:Correct. And Mexico is already number six on the list.
Speaker:You're not finding spare capacity sitting idle at that scale.
Speaker:And remember, that's before we even consider what might happen on July 8th with the Liberation Day
Speaker:tariffs.
Speaker:Let's take a reality check. The idea that you can just shift this kind of volume elsewhere,
Speaker:that's not short-term supply chain strategy. That's fantasy.
Speaker:Not unless they're secretly running factories staffed by penguins and seals.
Speaker:And let's be honest, penguins can't drive forklifts.
Speaker:Sorry, guys, I need to be serious here.
Speaker:The CFO says we should be relocating at pace, but you're saying that's a non-starter.
Speaker:I was beginning to think maybe me or we are slow off the block.
Speaker:Others are way ahead of us.
Speaker:Let's flip for a minute.
Speaker:I want to read you a piece from yesterday's New York Times.
Speaker:"The tariffs on Chinese goods, which the United States ratcheted up to a minimum
Speaker:of 145% in early April, brought much trade between the
Speaker:countries to a standstill. They caused companies to reroute business globally,
Speaker:importing less from China and more from other countries like Vietnam and Mexico.
Speaker:They forced Chinese factories to shutter and brought some American importers to the verge of
Speaker:bankruptcy."
Speaker:I guess we'll talk supply chain resilience in a while,
Speaker:but before that, when you read this article, the 145%
Speaker:tariff introduced six weeks ago has already translated into a massive global
Speaker:shift of sourcing. And already it's locked in. Containers are already in US ports.
Speaker:At least that's according to the headlines.
Speaker:I'm glad in the real world we're taking a more practical line on this.
Speaker:Our ops team says, "Lock in Q4 now." Finance says, "Wait." Legal says, "Review
Speaker:incoterms." And I say, "Great, what am I meant to do now?"
Speaker:This is where leadership matters most, not at the top of the org chart, but in every meeting.
Speaker:If your teams are running separate agendas, you're not managing the crisis, you're spreading it.
Speaker:One set of numbers, one plan. Everyone needs to understand what's being prioritized and
Speaker:why.
Speaker:Let's start with the basics. A tariff is a cost.
Speaker:A 30% tariff gets priced in one way or another.
Speaker:And if that's the rate we're working with for now, then yes, sales and marketing can start to
Speaker:build a strategy. But let's not assume 30% is permanent.
Speaker:It could easily jump to 60% or more. And if that happens, your entire market
Speaker:positioning could fall apart.
Speaker:Yeah. And if you've got pricing assumptions built around 25%, even 30% can
Speaker:hurt. At 60%, reality says some of those products aren't just margin-light,
Speaker:they're a liability.
Speaker:Exactly. So here's a more grounded framework, not just what to model, but
Speaker:what to do.
Speaker:First, we'll take pricing and markets. We have a 30% tariff in force now.
Speaker:So set provisional pricing on that basis and communicate with your retail channels.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Next, have a contingency model at 60%.
Speaker:If your margin disappears at that rate, don't pretend otherwise.
Speaker:That cost increase has to show up somewhere, usually in your prices.
Speaker:Best avoid full catalog recalculations. Hmm, it's too much detail.
Speaker:Focus on your key SKUs and known volume lines. Use the 80/20 rule.
Speaker:That way, you don't get bogged down in the weeds.
Speaker:We've been so tempted to start putting old SKUs back in the lineup,
Speaker:but honestly, I can't tell if they're viable or just nostalgic.
Speaker:30% feels like breathing room, but it's not a green light.
Speaker:Agreed. And don't fall into the trap of thinking that a 30% tariff makes
Speaker:everything okay again. In episodes three and four, you may recall we talked about culling poor
Speaker:performers. That advice still stands.
Speaker:For sure. The market as it existed on January 19th is gone. It's not coming back.
Speaker:Not now. Not ever.... in all businesses, some products that were
Speaker:well underwater at 145% are still going to be underwater at
Speaker:30%.
Speaker:You need to go back and revisit your assumptions.
Speaker:But don't let the tariff drop become an excuse to let underperformers sneak back into the
Speaker:catalog.
Speaker:We've seen that before. People let SKUs drift back in because they've got history.
Speaker:But history doesn't pay the duties.
Speaker:Good point. What didn't work two months ago may still be unworkable now.
Speaker:You want to be rigorous. The worst thing would be to sleepwalk poor products back onto
Speaker:the shelves just because they feel familiar.
Speaker:Sales and marketing should hold prices where they can to preserve margin.
Speaker:But if the market pushes back, you may have to take the hit. There's no universal rule.
Speaker:Just stay close to your data and closer to your customers.
Speaker:Next up, purchasing and lead times. Let's move to purchasing.
Speaker:In normal times, your fourth quarter orders would already be locked.
Speaker:But this year, realistically, most aren't, not after the whiplash of
Speaker:145%. If they're not in place yet, triage immediately.
Speaker:Place safe quantities now. Don't wait for clarity. It won't come in time.
Speaker:We're already running late. Lead times haven't changed, but everyone's acting like they've got
Speaker:breathing room. You don't.
Speaker:Next, split the risk. You're probably thinking about smaller orders anyway, so structure them that
Speaker:way. Stagger your volumes. Hedge your timing.
Speaker:Sounds inefficient, but at least it's survivable.
Speaker:We used to chase scale efficiencies. Now I'm chasing optionality.
Speaker:Smaller orders give me more control if tariffs shift again or if we see another surprise
Speaker:notice with a two-day countdown.
Speaker:And this is the moment to reopen key negotiations, not just on price but on
Speaker:flexibility. If you're still working off pre-April terms, your suppliers and freight partners may
Speaker:not realize how exposed you've become.
Speaker:I have had one factory still pushing for 60-day payment when we had goods coming into customs under
Speaker:145%. You've got to reset expectations fast.
Speaker:For factories, push on payment terms, staggered deliveries and minimums.
Speaker:For ocean carriers, you're not going to win on base rates but you might get holding options,
Speaker:adjusted routings or delayed container pull dates.
Speaker:The goal here isn't to win concessions.
Speaker:The goal is to shift some risk off your shoulders.
Speaker:Last up, finance and cash flow.
Speaker:Let's talk finance first. Thinking about getting fresh credit right now? Good luck.
Speaker:Banks are tightening. And unless you're sitting on perfect covenants, it's a non-starter.
Speaker:We asked our bank to increase our facility last month. The answer was a flat no.
Speaker:They're not even pretending to review things anymore. It's all about risk-off.
Speaker:And if you're wondering about insuring against tariff exposure or taking out trade risk cover,
Speaker:most of those policies are either unavailable or priced for big corporates.
Speaker:For small to mid-sized importers, it's not a serious option right now.
Speaker:We looked into it too. Our broker said, "Sure, if you're moving $500 million a year,
Speaker:maybe."
Speaker:So yeah, not helpful.
Speaker:So here's what actually matters, what's practical.
Speaker:Weekly cashflow planning is mandatory. Not quarterly, not monthly, weekly.
Speaker:Factor in realistic landed cost projections even if it hurts.
Speaker:Don't bet on best case tariffs.
Speaker:And build in lag time on payments and start thinking about internal lead times as part of your cash
Speaker:strategy.
Speaker:Pull all that together, this is the time to be cautious. It's not the time for big gambles.
Speaker:Recall that old saying, "Fortune favors the brave." It couldn't be more misplaced for
Speaker:importers in 2025.
Speaker:Yeah, don't assume your usual terms will save you.
Speaker:Everything needs to be tested against 60% tariff scenarios and lower Q4 sales, just
Speaker:in case.
Speaker:Put like that, I can see we've been treating this like an old school strategy exercise, but it's really
Speaker:survival mode. Plan every decision on the basis we have to survive first, worry about
Speaker:optimizing later.
Speaker:And don't obsess about competitors. You won't know who's sinking until they've already gone under.
Speaker:What you can do is stay liquid, stay alert, and keep your options open.
Speaker:Everyone wants to talk about 2026 and beyond, but our only objective that matters now
Speaker:is making it to January 1st, 2026 standing upright with a business that
Speaker:still has options.
Speaker:That's it. Forget five-year plans. This is about the next six months.
Speaker:Tight planning, calm decisions and keeping your team focused.
Speaker:Right, let's make this practical. When you walk into the office Monday morning, here are your first five
Speaker:moves.
Speaker:First, review your fourth quarter orders and pull up everything scheduled to land after the July
Speaker:8th or August 12th deadlines. Tag anything exposed to tariff risk.
Speaker:And if you haven't re-reviewed your PO list in the last 72 hours, most likely, it's already
Speaker:stale.
Speaker:Two,
Speaker:call your top three suppliers.
Speaker:Ask about flexibility, not just on price but on staggered shipments,
Speaker:extended terms and container holds.
Speaker:Show them you're recalculating risk and see if they'll meet you halfway.
Speaker:Three, do a cashflow health check. Get your finance team to run a 60%
Speaker:tariff scenario, not in theory, but on your current landed cost structure.
Speaker:Then ask, "What does that do to our cash position in 90 days?"
Speaker:Fourth, pick five SKUs to challenge.
Speaker:Choose the ones with thin margins or inconsistent sell-through.
Speaker:What happens to them at 30%? At 60%? Do they stay or are they quietly
Speaker:bleeding your business?
Speaker:Five,
Speaker:sync your leadership team.
Speaker:Sales, ops and finance need to be working from the same forecast, the same assumptions and the
Speaker:same risk thresholds. If you don't know what your own teams believe, fix that first.
Speaker:This is what I needed. Not just strategy, but a plan for the next five working
Speaker:days.
Speaker:We'll keep rethinking, but this gives us a place to restart from.
Speaker:We don't need perfect answers. We need shared assumptions and fast moves.
Speaker:That's how you survive a policy storm.
Speaker:And since we've laid out what to do Monday, let's be blunt about what not to do.
Speaker:These are the five traps that could undo everything faster than a tariff change.
Speaker:One-Don't bring the catalog back to life.
Speaker:If a product wasn't working at 145%, it doesn't automatically belong
Speaker:now. Don't use 30% as an excuse to revive dead weight.
Speaker:Two, don't chase phantom suppliers.
Speaker:Remember that factory in another country promising to handle your volume next week? Probably not real.
Speaker:Don't waste quarter two on ghosts.
Speaker:Three, don't trust market whispers.
Speaker:Ignore anyone saying tariffs are done.
Speaker:Until you see a signed document with dates and duties, assume nothing.
Speaker:Four, don't freeze your decision-making. Inaction is a decision.
Speaker:If you're holding off on all POs waiting for certainty, you're not buying time.
Speaker:You're losing control.
Speaker:Five, don't assume your competitor is getting through this fine.
Speaker:They've gone quiet because they're scrambling too. Focus on your own playbook.
Speaker:Survival isn't a group sport.
Speaker:That last one hits. I've spent the last few weeks assuming we were the slow ones,
Speaker:but the silence from others is starting to look a lot like panic.
Speaker:Exactly. Don't judge strength by volume. Judge it by readiness.
Speaker:Let's break down a basic truth that keeps getting ignored in public debate.
Speaker:Most tariffs are charged on the FOB cost.
Speaker:That's the factory price before the goods even hit the ship.
Speaker:So if your product costs $100 from the supplier and the tariff is 30%, you're
Speaker:paying $30 in duty. That's on top of freight, insurance, and all the rest.
Speaker:And let's be clear. The Chinese factory isn't paying that. The importer is.
Speaker:That's us.
Speaker:Tariffs don't hit back in Guangzhou. They hit in Columbus, Ohio.
Speaker:And for small to mid-size importers, there's no safety net.
Speaker:No one's handing us rebates or retroactive credits.
Speaker:You pay the tariff at the point of customs clearance. And if you guessed wrong on timing, too bad.
Speaker:But here's where it gets even more frustrating. Not everyone's playing by the same rules.
Speaker:Roughly 25% of all US imports from China are in consumer electronics.
Speaker:Think smartphones, laptops, and tablets.
Speaker:These categories, led by companies like Apple, have already been exempted from the
Speaker:145% tariff. Quietly carved out, conveniently avoided.
Speaker:Right. Apparently an $800 price hike on a top-end iPhone was too much for the
Speaker:administration to stomach.
Speaker:But sticking that same proportionate increase on toys, totally fine.
Speaker:No carve outs for us.
Speaker:But to be fair, those electronics still have the 20% from February and March.
Speaker:General goods pay this as part of their 30%. So the playing field has been leveled.
Speaker:If you can think of a 30% tariff as being level.
Speaker:It's the same logic we've seen before.
Speaker:If your sector has lobbyists, visibility, and big tech stock exposure, you're
Speaker:strategic. If not, you're just collateral.
Speaker:And let's not forget autos, agriculture, steel, all with their own exceptions or phase-ins.
Speaker:But everyday importers moving apparel, homeware, toys, FMCG, you're the
Speaker:ones shouldering the volatility.
Speaker:It's maddening. The businesses keeping shelves full and Q4 ticking.
Speaker:We're the ones being told to just absorb it, whatever the gyrations in policy.
Speaker:And when we pass that cost on, we're accused of inflation. It's lose-lose.
Speaker:So when you hear politicians saying tariffs are a tool to bring back jobs, remember which jobs
Speaker:in which industries are being protected and which ones are just being priced out of existence.
Speaker:Think of the Monday checklist as your restart plan. The Survival Radar?
Speaker:That's your weekly discipline. So let's finish the practical part of today with your Survival Radar.
Speaker:Five signals to watch for every single week between now and January.
Speaker:One,
Speaker:inventory at risk.
Speaker:Flag anything still sitting in your warehouse that came in at 145% tariffs.
Speaker:Review pricing weekly. Decide, hold, push, or mark down.
Speaker:Two, cash pressure points. Look ahead 90 days.
Speaker:What bills hit if the 30% becomes 60% again? No assumptions.
Speaker:Pressure test the cash.
Speaker:Third, vulnerable SKUs. Which products are high volume but low margin?
Speaker:These are your danger zones if tariffs climb or if demand softens.
Speaker:Fourth, supplier readiness. Are your current factories still operating under pre-March assumptions?
Speaker:Have they confirmed capacity, delivery, and terms at these new rates?
Speaker:Five, internal misalignment.
Speaker:Have you had one good cross-department meeting this week?
Speaker:If sales, ops, and finance aren't synced, fix that first and no excuses.
Speaker:This gives me a structure. It's not just reacting to noise.
Speaker:It's watching the right signals.
Speaker:Exactly. If you're checking these five every week, you're running a business.
Speaker:If you're not, be clear, you're gambling.
Speaker:It's time to bring this all together.
Speaker:A tariff reduction to 30% isn't a solution.
Speaker:It's a pause, a tactical reset. And if you're making big bets based on
Speaker:it holding, you're playing a dangerous game.
Speaker:Right now, flexibility is more valuable than any single cost saving.
Speaker:Lock in where you have to. Delay where you can.
Speaker:And don't overcommit to a future that keeps rewriting itself.
Speaker:You have to stay realistic.
Speaker:Model your pricing with today's rates, but sketch a plan B at 60%.
Speaker:If you can't survive that shift, don't pretend it couldn't happen.
Speaker:And planning, it has to be frequent.
Speaker:Weekly cash flow reviews, fast feedback loops from your sales team, inventory you can
Speaker:move, not just store. Adaptation isn't optional.
Speaker:It's also a time for caution. Avoid inventory bloat. Protect cash.
Speaker:Don't assume your competitors are healthy just because they're quiet.
Speaker:This isn't about thriving. It's about enduring.
Speaker:If you're still upright on January 1st, 2026 with customers, cash, and
Speaker:confidence, you've done what most won't.
Speaker:And it's not just about surviving personally.
Speaker:It's about keeping your team confident, focused, and pulling in the same direction.
Speaker:A panicked company doesn't make it to January.
Speaker:The future is uncertain, but your survival doesn't have to be.
Speaker:Adjust fast, decide deliberately, and above all, stay alert.
Speaker:Anyone telling you there's a clear plan right now is selling fantasy, not strategy.
Speaker:We're not out of the woods yet, but we've just got better boots for the terrain.
Speaker:This was Episode 6 of Survive the Tariffs.
Speaker:Catch up on Modular 1 through 5 for deep dives into pricing, sourcing, logistics, and
Speaker:leadership under fire.
Speaker:And don't miss the next one.
Speaker:We're tearing into Q4 planning when Q2 still feels like triage.
Speaker:Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your shows, or on our own site at
Speaker:survivethetariffs.captivate.fm.
Speaker:Until next time, stay sharp.
Speaker:Remember, even though tariffs may change again, survival is the only positive strategy
Speaker:in town.
