# Tariffs and Trade: EMS & The Economist on Global Manufacturing's Future Amid Political Shifts

- Show: [EMS@C-LEVEL](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level)
- Published: 2025-02-05
- Length: 23m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic

## Summary

Shawn DuBravac, Chief Economist at the Electronics Industries Alliance (EIA), discusses the immediate impact of the Trump administration's aggressive tariff policies on global manufacturing and the EMS sector. He highlights a massive, panic-driven pull-forward of imports in December and January, with PCB order flows hitting the 99th percentile as companies rush to beat potential March 1 tariffs on Canada and Mexico. DuBravac warns that these tariffs will likely be inflationary across multiple sectors, including food and construction, while creating uncertainty that delays long-term capital investments in US manufacturing capacity. The conversation also covers CES 2025 trends, noting a strong shift toward autonomous vehicles and EVs, driven by companies like Waymo and BYD, alongside the broader integration of AI into hardware.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic#t=7) Introduction: Shawn DuBravac and the Tariff Landscape
- [0:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic#t=53) Trump's Tariff Strategy and the 'Easy Button' Approach
- [4:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic#t=264) Import Pull-Forward: PCB and EMS Order Surges
- [6:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic#t=386) Economic Uncertainty and Inflationary Pressures
- [9:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic#t=591) Impact on US Manufacturing Investment and Global Decoupling
- [14:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic#t=857) CES 2025 Trends: Autonomous Vehicles, EVs, and AI
- [17:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic#t=1071) 2025 Sentiment Reports and Market Outlook
- [20:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2025-02-05-tariffs-and-trade-ems-the-economist-on-global-manufacturings-future-amid-politic#t=1228) Political Context: Midterm Elections and Legislative Urgency

## Topics

- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Electronics Industries Alliance (company)
- Waymo (company)
- BYD (company)
- Zeker (company)
- PCB (other)
- EMS (other)
- CES (other)
- USMCA (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [A Manufacturing Growth Outlook for 2025 w/ Cara Walton](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-01-07-a-manufacturing-growth-outlook-for-2025-w-cara-walton) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Tariffs, Interest Rates, Inflation and a 2025 Manufacturing Outlook w/ Daniel Doderer](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2025-03-04-tariffs-interest-rates-inflation-and-a-2025-manufacturing-outlook-w-daniel-doder) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [OnTrack PCB Design Podcast 2025 Year in Review](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2025-12-30-ontrack-pcb-design-podcast-2025-year-in-review) (OnTrack)
- [124: Tariff Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2025-05-08-124-tariff-talk) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Bonus: Tariffs 101 with Aaron Alpeter](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-02-06-bonus-tariffs-101-with-aaron-alpeter) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

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