Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1539960
6 SMT007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2025 Tariffs, Technologies, and Optimization Last month, SMT007 Magazine spotlighted India, and boy, did we pick a good time to do so. Tar- iff and trade news involving India was breaking like a storm surge. The U.S. tariffs shifted India from one of the most favorable trade agreements to the least favorable. Electronics continue to be exempt for the time being, but lest you think that we're free and clear because we manufac- N O L A N 'S N OT ES by Nolan J ohnson, I-C onne ct0 07 ture electronics, steel and alumi- num are specifically called out at the 50% tariff levels. Further- more, finished goods that contain a "significant" amount of steel or aluminum are subject to a pro- rated tariff based on the amount of steel or aluminum in the prod- uct. In other words, if our elec- tronics-based finished goods contain enough steel or alumi- num, we could face a tariff. This tactic involves a great deal of bureaucratic hoop-jumping, of course, which adds cost to the product. I've continued to follow the Indian market's responses to the tariff news, and it should come as no surprise that Indian businesses are responding by developing business relation- ships with alternative, non-U.S. supply chains where the barriers are much lower.