“Tariff uncertainty accelerated purchases at ISA.”
The ISA Expo 2025 saw impressive attendance and remarkable buyer enthusiasm this year. Virtually every vendor we spoke with indicated they had closed or were expecting to close major orders. A notable contradiction emerged as customers accelerated purchases to precede anticipated tariff implementation and price increases—behavior paralleling recent trends in the automotive sector where consumers rushed to beat tariff-related adjustments.
Every vendor at the expo is feeling the effects of the tariff situation, with impacts varying widely from positive to negative depending on their position in the market. Despite these varied outcomes, industry participants share a common concern – the persistent lack of stability and predictability in the tariff environment, which continues to hamper effective business planning.
The uncertainty surrounding future tariff policies remains the primary challenge for companies as they attempt to develop strategic roadmaps and investment plans for the coming year.
2025 Vendor Plans: Supply Chain Adjustments
During the Expo, we engaged with numerous executives representing leading manufacturers and suppliers. A clear trend emerged from these discussions: companies across the board have launched comprehensive supply chain reviews to determine necessary adjustments in response to the evolving tariff situation.
A particularly notable development came from Epson, which initially announced a substantial 24% price increase to its dealer network. However, within days, the company contacted dealers to inform them of a temporary pause on this price hike. Epson cited the need to thoroughly assess both the immediate and long-term implications of the Trump administration’s tariff policies before proceeding with such significant pricing changes.
Mimaki will institute a 10% price increase on June 1, 2025 and then will reassess its plans in 90 days. Roland will maintain its printer pricing since they started accumulating inventory on a pre-tariff strategic basis. According to Andrew Oransky, Board Member of Roland DG and CEO, Roland DGA, “Roland will also be launching a variety of sales and marketing initiatives to assist end users with their product purchases.”
Brian Phipps, President of Mutoh, stated that the company will maintain current pricing for all their products, as virtually all is manufactured in Japan.
In contrast to most companies’ responses, Prism Inks has completely restructured its supply chain to source all raw materials for its DTF inks domestically within the United States. According to CEO and President Amir Ajanee, “We have reduced the price of our DTF ink by 13% to help end users with the tariff issue.”
Sonny Chang, VP of Buffalo Imaging, one of the largest importers of Korean media in the U.S., provided an insightful perspective on the situation. Late last week, South Korea dispatched a delegation of 80 government and business representatives to Washington to expedite negotiations for a resolution. According to Chang, “there is widespread optimism that an agreement will be reached quickly.”
Meanwhile, EFI and HP are preparing to shift production across their international factories depending on how tariff negotiations unfold. EFI has manufacturing plants in Israel, Italy, and the United States, with both Israel and Italy currently engaged in tariff discussions with the U.S. Similarly, HP produces its latex products primarily in Singapore and Malaysia, two regions also involved in ongoing talks.
Finally, both CUTWORX USA and STS Inks have started — or are investigating — to assemble products in the U.S. to avoid tariff issues.
Bottom Line
Strategic tariffs have overwhelming vendor support, but the chaotic and unpredictable supply chain crises under the Trump administration need to stop.
World Imaging News will continue to cover this major story as it unfolds.
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