Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT
The current situation: American tariffs on imports from Germany
On April 3, 2025, the United States announced high tariffs on goods from 185 countries. For export-oriented German medium-sized businesses, this represents a serious threat: companies without their own production facilities in the USA now face the question of how they can ensure their competitiveness in the American market - as quickly as possible. What measures can companies in Germany now take to prevent significant declines in sales and the loss of important market shares?
Our approach: Creating resilient production systems
Our approach to resilience has already proven itself during the Corona crisis: Even in today's scenario, we quickly and thoroughly analyze your value chains and sales markets to determine the impact of the US tariffs on your products. Short-term options such as switching suppliers or partial relocations - for example, transferring individual production lines- can provide quick solutions. Building new factories, on the other hand, is a more long-term solution. We assess the economic and logistical feasibility of these measures and develop factory concepts based on the latest technologies to maximize efficiency and competitiveness. With local expertise, Fraunhofer USA is available to us on-site as a contact person.
