No two companies in the custom integration industry – or any industry for that matter – are quite alike. They might manufacture similar product, but between all the processes, inner-workings, go-to-market plans, and everything else in between, they all have their own intricacies that make them unique.
And that’s exactly why we shouldn’t expect there to be a cookie cutter response to how all of these brands plan to handle the forthcoming price increases associated with tariffs. With manufacturing locations all across the globe, each manufacturer (unless you’re Samsung) is going to be hit in some way, shape, or form by these tariffs.
Something we’ve said here at Residential Tech Today is that no matter how they plan to respond, one thing all parties involved have agreed upon is that communication is going to be key in all of this. And, to that end, some manufacturers are starting to show their cards.
Below, we’re going to keep a running tab of these announcements and communications, along with any other tariff related news or updates.
[UPDATE: Thursday, May 1, 12:30 pm ET] SPARTACO Tool Group, pt. 2 – In a letter to customers sent Thursday afternoon, SPARTACO Tool Group said it would publish adjusted pricing on product, effective June 1, 2025. Previously, SPARTACO said that it wouldn’t rush to adjust pricing and would, instead, handle things on a “case by case basis.” This new direction, the company said in today’s email, is a result of their “in-depth SKU-level analysis” and efforts to closely collaborate with their supplier network.
SPARTACO did say that customers could avoid potential pricing impacts by placing orders on product that would ship ahead of the June 1 deadline.
“We are monitoring the fluid tariff situation and are actively working to resource components and materials most affected, while remaining transparent and up front with our partners along the way,” Jason Stone, VP of Sales and Customer Service for SPARTACO, said in the email. “As and when we can make price adjustments, we will provide further information.”
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[UPDATE: Friday, April 25, 11:50 am ET] De-escalation efforts underway – In a sign that the two countries could be nearing discussions to dissipate the ongoing economic tension, China exempted some goods from U.S. tariffs, according to a Reuters report. The news came after some de-escalatory comments from the White House a day prior. No specific products or categories had been mentioned at the time of publication, but Beijing did ask firms to identify “critical goods they need levy-free,” according to those that were included in the communication.
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[UPDATE: Thursday, April 24, 5:42 pm ET] Magnetar USA – Visitors to the newly redesigned Magnetar USA website are greeted with a pop up that prominently provides a tariff update. That pop up includes the following statement from the company: “We are receiving many inquiries in regards to our pricing related to the current tariff situation. Currently, we are maintaining our MSRP for Magnetar players for the month of April. However, this is subject to change based on our assessment of the situation as of May 1, 2025.”
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[UPDATE: Thursday, April 24, 7 am ET] AVPro Global – In a statement that highlighted the launch of a new “Winning Together” initiative, AVPro Global said that it will absorb any tariff-related costs rather than increase the price of their products. Further, AVPro said it will maintain current pricing and program thresholds with its partners through the end of 2025.
“We’re not a massive corporation answering to shareholders,” Jeff Murray, Founder and CEO of AVPro Global, said in the release. “We are a family-owned, veteran-owned, and woman-owned company that is able to make bold decisions quickly – with our dealers’ long-term success in mind. That’s what ‘Winning Together’ is all about.”
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[UPDATE: Wednesday, April 23, 12:33 pm ET] Cassette – Cassette Systems, the factory-built house manufacturer, sent a note to partners that highlighted how tariffs are impacting their operations and pricing, and what can be done to prevent potential impacts moving forward. In the email, the firm said that while their design, source, and manufacturing operations are U.S.-based, they do still purchase materials “from far and wide,” which has resulted in increased costs. To that end, Cassette “had to raise our pricing approximately 5 percent” last month and will “keep these prices fixed” as long as they can for their customers. That said, Cassette encouraged their customers to leverage predevelopment agreements to help lock in current pricing on projects for 30 days.
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[UPDATE: Tuesday, April 15, 12:35 pm ET] URC – In an email to partners in the custom installation industry, URC Founder and CEO Chang K. Park said his company remains committed to maintaining current pricing on their products, no matter what happens with the ongoing tariff situation. URC manufactures their remotes in Korea, which was set to receive a 26 percent tariff on imports prior to the 90-day pause announced last week. Park said that he remains confident the Korean and the U.S. governments will work towards some resolution to avoid a tariff increase during this pause.
“Regardless of the outcome of tariff negotiations,” Park wrote, “I want to assure you that I will not increase our price and will absorb the current tariffs.”
Park noted that the only time URC was forced to raise prices was during the global shortage of raw materials following the COVID pandemic. During that time, as material costs “doubled, even tripled,” URC increased prices by 10 percent.
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[UPDATE: Saturday, April 12, 2 pm ET] Exclusions on Electronics – In a major win for much of the technology sector, the Trump administration announced a slew of tech-related exclusions from not only the reciprocal tariffs that were part of the “Liberation Day” announcement, but also the baseline 10 percent tariff that was placed on all imports and the astronomical 125 percent tariffs on Chinese imports as those two countries continue playing economic chicken. The news came in the form of a note shared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection with updated guidance on the additional duties due on imported merchandise.
In that note, 20 different HTSUS codes were provided and said to be “excluded from the reciprocal tariffs” that were outlined in the April 9th executive order. The codes of particular interest to this industry would be 8471 that relates to “automatic data processing machines” such as laptops, servers, and related equipment; 8524, which covers all flat panel display modules whether touchscreen or not; 8542 that applies to electronics integrated circuits, semiconductors, amplifiers, and other specialized circuits; and 8517.13.00 that applies to smartphones.
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[UPDATE: Wednesday, April 9 1:40 pm ET] Tariffs Paused! – In a major announcement that sent Wall Street on an immediate steep climb, the Trump administration announced a 90-day pause on the “Liberation Day” tariffs, specifically the additional reciprocal tariffs that were announced. Still in place is the 10 percent global tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. as well as the 125 percent tariff on goods from China.
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[UPDATE: Tuesday, April 8 at 3:22 pm ET] SPARTACO Tool Group – The parent company for a portfolio of professional tool brands (including Jameson Tools, Huskie Tools, and Ronin), SPARTACO Tool Group sent an email to customers that essentially said they wouldn’t rush to make any pricing adjustments. Rather, they stated that they would assess orders on a case-by-case basis to “determine and communicate any tariff impact that needs to be addressed.” The company added that they anticipate cost implications at some point and would notify customers if and when they become necessary, however “several factors make it challenging to pinpoint the specific changes required.”
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[UPDATE: Tuesday, April 8 at 10:31 am ET] Stewart Filmscreen – In an email to customers, Stewart Filmscreen shared that its products will not be impacted by the recently announced tariffs. “Please be assured that all of our products are proudly manufactured in the United States and are therefore exempt from these new tariffs,” the email stated. “This means that you will experience no changes to our current pricing structure, product availability, or standard lead times as a consequence of the policy announced on April 2, 2025.”
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[UPDATE: Monday, April 7 at 5 am ET] Samsung –The global electronics brand said its TV business will likely be “less impacted” by tariffs than its competitors due to the fact that they manufacture their displays in Mexico. TVs are a protected product under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement that allows for free trade of certain product between the North American countries. FULL STORY
Have an update you want us to add here? Email it to rstott@goipw.com.
