Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1547450
42 SMT007 MAGAZINE I NOVEMBER 2026 execute the NPI or transfer. That was the piece that was missing from the formulas. The line, the origin, and the people required to move the program sit on the same page before the program is committed. The Modeler scores outsourcing program support headcount and cost for the NPI or the transfer. It does not, however, price the SMT/PCB assembly line. That direct labor stays in the factory quote. Moving a program also involves staffing and support costs that need to be considered alongside tariff exposure and manufacturing expenses. That makes sense. Understanding tariffs is hard enough; when they change often, it's even worse. How does the information you provide add value for users in understanding their tariff exposure? To be clear, the TariffVault Decision Layer is not an AI program; it is a proprietary methodology based on 25+ years of our experience in scoring electronics programs, sourcing judgments for classification, true landing cost and duty calculations, and supply chain tariff-risk planning. Fragmented public tariff, trade, and policy feeds data go in, and usable, auditable infor- mation comes out. TariffVault is three tools on one Decision Layer. The Report scores the landed tariff stack, the Atlas maps country and corridor risk, and the Modeler tests absorb, pass-through, and reloca- tion. They are named tools, not one generic service. The platform provides information on: • MFN/HTS/HS code rates by product and country • Preferential rates: FTA, GSP, USMCA, and other trade-program rates • Additional trade measures: Section 301, Section 232, Section 201 safeguards, AD/ CVD, quotas/TRQs, and exclusions • Other import charges: MPF, HMF, VAT/GST, excise taxes, and similar fees depending on jurisdiction • Effective duty rate/landed-cost estimates: combined tariff burden vs. one line item • Change tracking: New tariffs, rate changes, exclusions, expirations, scope rulings, and effective dates • Scenario and exposure analysis: How tariffs apply by SKU, country of origin (supplier geography), value, and sourcing scenario TariffVault adds value by centralizing complexity. It replaces scattered government portals, Federal Register notices, FTA rules, and AD/CVD orders with one structured view. Users can see why an item's true duty rate is much higher than the base rate. It also quantifies exposure by translating tariff rules into dollar impact for each product, supplier, country, or business unit, enabling faster decision-making. Users can compare sourcing alternatives, model changes in the origin country, and evaluate exclu- sions and the impact on pricing or margins. It also improves compliance and planning, enabling procurement, finance, trade, and legal teams to work from a shared view of tariff exposure. How do you envision this fitting into a typical work- flow at an EMS company's purchasing department? It sits in the quoting stage, next to the ERP and distributor portals, without replacing either. The ERP and portals still own the BOM, AVL, RFQ, and PO. It won't parse a full BOM, issue an RFQ, or create a PO. Electronics HS lines come preloaded. The buyer enters the code shown on the quote and reviews the Full Report for the top 30 BOM line items. This functions as the intake step for an internal EMS quoting buyer or commodity manager. The OEM customer program is being quoted for a particular country and factory. For each code, the Report presents the origin-based stack: • MFN • Section 301 • Section 232 • Any reciprocal surcharge • AD/CVD • Identifies countries that dominate global supply for the code With supply chain bifurcation on the rise, TariffVault improves single-source vs. dual-source decisions for EMS factories. A single-source problem exists when a single origin supplies all imports. A second factory adds supply chain continuity and resilience. The duty shifts only if the circuit board's origin shifts. For example, if final assembly moves to India or Vietnam but the PCB is still manufactured in China, then Section 301 remains applicable to a China-origin PCBA. FEATURE Q&A