Navigating Tariff Uncertainty

2025-04-16 / Rob Spearman / Buyer Guide

Current Events

President Trump has suddenly imposed tariffs at some level on all US trading partners. As of this writing, they range from 10% up to an extreme high of around 245% for some goods from China.

What Are Tariffs

These tariffs are duties (taxes) on US buyers of foreign goods that are paid to the US government when the goods are imported into the US. Duties are paid by the US businesses or consumers who import the goods. A large side effect is that the higher costs tend to shift purchases away from highly tariffed products to alternatives.

Historically, US tariffs have been very low. Even this January they averaged 3%. This has supported vibrant trade, low inflation, and the creation of wealthier societies through trade. High tariffs are instead the hallmark of unproductive and perpetually poor countries.

Long Term Outlook

These new tariffs are unlikely to remain in place. Economic fallout is putting pressure on politicians to step back from these economically illiterate policies. Meanwhile, the judicial system is starting to work, with a number of lawsuits filed. Most of Trump’s tariffs seem plainly illegal and not authorized by Congress, which has sole constitutional authority over tariffs.

The Short Term

In the meantime, we are monitoring costs of our manufacturing inputs. We will be announcing updated prices effective June 1.

If you have either an accepted order or an unexpired quote from us, you can rest easy knowing that your price has not changed. If you are planning a future purchase, please check in with us periodically for updates. Setting aside a contingency amount for unforeseen expenses on any project is always a good idea.

International Sales

If your country implements retaliatory tariffs on the US, there is a chance it could change the duty you must pay to your country at import. You will want to stay informed of your local tariff changes so that you can plan accordingly. Retaliatory tariffs tend to be very targeted to Trump supporting industries/regions (peanuts, motorcycles, etc.) so this seems less likely to cause a problem. We do have some options if this crops up. Please discuss with Digitalis or any of our international partners about other ways we can make sure your international order goes smoothly and on budget.

The tariff changes have also impacted currency exchange rates, so these also need to be monitored. The dollar has been dropping since the announced changes, which generally makes our products more affordable.

Conclusion

We know purchasing a state-of-the-art digital planetarium system is a large step. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your plans and how we can help you make your purchase and use go smoothly despite this short term trade turmoil.