Companies that import products into the United States are facing a new reality. Tariffs are no longer a temporary disruption, and moving production out of China is not as simple as it sounds.
Many importers assume that shifting to Vietnam, India, Mexico, or the U.S. will automatically reduce risk and cost. In practice, the situation is more complex. Lead times increase, working capital gets tied up, quality may take months to stabilize, and the rules around country of origin are stricter than many people expect.
In this episode, we share a presentation by Fabien Gaussorgues, CEO of Agilian Technology, on what manufacturing for the U.S. market actually looks like in 2026. The discussion focuses on operational reality rather than political headlines, including tariffs, supply chain diversification, substantial transformation rules, and the real economics behind China+1 strategies.
Let’s go through the key points that importers and product companies should understand before making major supply chain decisions.
Listen to the audio here or on Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Amazon Podcasts · Deezer · iHeartRADIO · TuneIn.
You may also like to watch the video of the presentation instead:
Table of Contents
Episode Sections:
- 02:42 – Manufacturing Risks and Opportunities
- 08:25 – Navigating Tariff Challenges
- 11:23 – China Plus One Strategy
- 13:20 – Substantial Transformation Explained
- 15:06 – Final Assembly Considerations
- 21:13 – Moving Production Out of China
- 22:32 – Risks of Full Decoupling
- 25:19 – Key Takeaways for Businesses
- 28:07 – Audience Questions and Insights
- 53:52 – Closing Remarks and Future Insights
