Written by Sharon Loosman.
Recent federal tariff announcements are expected to impact nearly all trading partners, particularly shipments and orders from China. These developments present potential challenges for our procurement operations at NC State, including delays, additional fees, order cancellations and pricing adjustments. Given this uncertainty, we must take proactive steps to reduce the impact on university operations.
Departments are encouraged to prioritize purchases through NC State’s preferred and contracted suppliers, available in the NC State MarketPlace. These suppliers have been carefully vetted and offer the most reliable options for procuring goods and services efficiently and at the best value.
Should you need to engage suppliers outside our established MarketPlace contracts, please be aware of the potential tariff-related cost increases when requesting quotes. Be sure to ask that any additional fees tied to tariffs or customs be itemized separately, rather than embedded within the total cost.
By leveraging our strategic supplier partnerships and adhering to centralized procurement practices, we can maintain purchasing continuity and minimize disruption during this volatile global supply chain period.
Please work with Procurement Services on purchases involving equipment or goods that:
- have a value of $5,000 or more, or
- require international shipping and customs clearance
We use an authorized service (customs broker) that ensures compliance and may reduce international shipping and customs costs. You can read more about this topic in the Customs Clearance Services section of the Purchasing Manual and in the following Knowledge Base articles:
- Are customs duties charged on international shipments?
- Does the university provide customs clearance services?
- How do I process a foreign supplier invoice that is in foreign currency?
Procurement Services will continue to keep you informed as the situation develops. We closely monitor these challenges and work collaboratively across our campus and the UNC System to navigate them effectively.