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Turning Tariffs into Tariffade: How Component Manufacturers Can Gain Market Share Amid Trade Uncertainty

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Turning Tariffs into Tariffade

No prizes for guessing the main topic of conversation at the EDS conference next week.

Tariffs—and everything that comes with them: customer conversations, vendor negotiations, reporting, managing deliveries, and on and on—have consumed the components industry for the last 106 days. It’s a huge but unavoidable distraction from the business of growing our businesses.

The Two Camps of Tariff Thinking

You might be in one of two camps right now:

  • Camp One: “We’re so consumed with tariffs that we don’t have bandwidth for new initiatives.”
  • Camp Two: “Tariff volatility is here for the long haul—let’s keep moving.”

I’m firmly in the second camp. And here’s why:

A Rare Window of Competitive Advantage

This is an unprecedented opportunity that most component manufacturers won’t want to miss:

  • If you’re in the 10% or even 0% tariff bucket, and your competitor is in the 30% bucket, you hold a significant cost advantage—up to 30%.
  • OEMs and CMs aren’t waiting around. They’re diversifying their supply chains now and actively seeking lower-tariff suppliers to spread cost and availability risks.
  • Even if new customers don’t order immediately, this is your chance to get your foot in the door at competitors’ accounts.

Yes, price isn’t everything—but it’s a pretty big thing.

Why Marketing is the Hammer You Need

Let’s be honest—your sales team is already stretched thin. The two real growth drivers right now are:

  • Sales activity
  • Marketing activity

And I’m here to advocate for the latter.

Now is the time to build marketing campaigns that:

  • Proactively share your current tariff advantages
  • Highlight your COO (Certificate of Origin)
  • Emphasize the geographic strengths of your workforce
  • Attract new customers and purchasing managers to your brand

Don’t Let Fear of Change Paralyze You

Worried your tariff level might change?
Honestly—who cares?
You can’t control the policy, but you can control the narrative. Use this moment to start meaningful customer conversations and pursue long-term market share gains.

The Bottom Line

It’s time to stop waiting and start acting. If you’ve got a tariff advantage, it’s not just a shield—it’s a sales tool. Use it.
Let’s turn tariffs into tariffade.