Customs Duties and Tariffs in 2026: How SME Importers Stay Profitable

The tariff landscape in 2026: what has changed#

Three major shifts have changed the tariff environment for SME importers. First, US tariffs on goods from China — extended and expanded in 2025 — have disrupted supply chains for any SME selling into the US market or sourcing from China. Second, UK post-Brexit trade policy has created both opportunities and confusion — some markets now have better UK tariff treatment than before, others worse. Third, EU customs reform, including the end of the €150 de minimis threshold, has affected ecommerce importers selling into Europe. Each change has a specific, calculable impact on your margin.

Calculating your duty exposure with AskBiz#

The starting point for managing tariff risk is knowing your current duty exposure. AskBiz lets you upload your import data — product, value, origin country, destination market — and ask: What is my total annual duty cost? What percentage of my import value is going to duties? Which products have the highest duty rate? Which origin countries have the highest average duty? This gives you a clear picture of where your tariff exposure is concentrated and where the risk is greatest.

Sourcing diversification: the margin calculation#

If your current suppliers are in a high-tariff origin country — China for US-bound goods, for example — the obvious response is to look at sourcing from lower-tariff origins: Vietnam, India, Mexico for US goods; Turkey, Morocco, or Eastern Europe for UK and EU buyers. But alternative sourcing often comes at a higher unit cost. AskBiz can model the net position: if I source this product from Vietnam at 15% higher unit cost but save 25% in tariffs, what is my net margin improvement? For each product, with your actual numbers.

The de minimis threshold change and ecommerce importers#

For ecommerce businesses selling into the EU, the elimination of the €150 de minimis exemption means that previously duty-free low-value shipments are now dutiable. If you are drop-shipping or sending direct-to-consumer parcels into Europe, every parcel now potentially attracts customs duties and VAT at point of import. AskBiz can calculate the margin impact per product: at your average order value and the applicable duty rate, what is your new net margin on EU orders?

Using AskBiz to monitor tariff changes proactively#

Tariff rates change. Trade agreements come and go. AskBiz cannot monitor tariff databases for you, but it can help you assess the impact of tariff changes quickly when they happen. If a new tariff announcement affects your key import category, you can ask AskBiz immediately: if this product's duty rate increases from 5% to 20%, what is the impact on my landed cost and margin? How much would I need to raise prices to maintain my target margin? You get an answer in seconds.