6 Months In: What Brands Need to Know About Tariffs (and What to Do Next)

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When the new U.S. tariffs were first announced, a lot of e-commerce founders shrugged it off.

“Won’t affect us.”
“We’ll just wait it out.”
“Shipping’s already crazy—what’s one more thing?”

Fast-forward six months and reality’s hitting hard:

• Cost of goods is up 10–40% depending on your supplier
• Shipping delays have crept back in
• Profit margins are shrinking
• And most importantly: your prices haven’t caught up

Let’s talk about what’s changed, what’s coming, and what you should be doing right now—before Q4 rolls around and you’re caught flat-footed.

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1. Tariffs Aren’t Temporary—They’re Restructuring the Supply Chain

China, Vietnam, India, Canada, the EU—depending on what you import, your cost per unit may have jumped significantly. And more changes are expected.

Most beauty and wellness brands relying on overseas manufacturers (especially for packaging and raw ingredients) are seeing their margins take a hit.

What to do:

• Renegotiate supplier contracts now (don’t wait)
• Explore domestic co-packers or hybrid fulfillment options
• Factor tariff buffers into all Q4 planning

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2. Ads Are More Expensive at the Worst Possible Time

Just when product costs go up, Meta and Google decide to double your CPMs too.

If you’re running paid media the same way you were a year ago, you’re likely spending more to make less. And when Q4 hits, ad competition and tariff pressure will both spike.

What to do:

• Shift budget to performance-based channels (like affiliates)
• Reduce dependence on “cold” ad funnels
• Build a loyal, converting community that doesn’t require bidding for attention

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3. Affiliates and Customer Creators Are Your Margin-Saving Channel

Every time you pay Meta $12 for a click that doesn’t convert, a creator could’ve made a sale for you—for just a commission.

With Jump:

• You can turn your repeat customers into affiliates automatically (post-purchase invites)
• Launch branded storefronts that sell 24/7
• Pull in new sellers from our commission-only affiliate network
• Track every sale down to the click, code, and cart

Bottom line: you pay only for sales. Not impressions. Not vibes. Sales.

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4. Now’s the Time to Update Pricing, Bundling, and Messaging

Many brands are still operating like it’s 2022. But with tariffs and inflation baked into costs now, the smartest brands are making moves:

• Raise prices quietly with bundled value sets
• Create “hero products” with better margins
• Shift messaging to “cost per use,” longevity, or travel-friendly formats

Bonus: Jump lets affiliates sell curated product bundles using shareable carts—a perfect way to nudge AOV up without touching base pricing.

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5. Plan Q4 Like It’s Going to Be War (Because It Will Be)

Inventory will be tighter. Costs will stay high. Competition will be brutal.
The brands that win this holiday season will have:

• Built-in affiliate systems ready to scale
• Loyal creators pushing content daily
• Lower CAC from performance-based sales
• More margin cushion because they prepared now

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Final Thoughts: Tariffs Are Here. Use Them to Your Advantage.

You can’t control trade policy. But you can control how agile your business is.

Affiliate marketing isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a margin-preserving, CAC-slashing, word-of-mouth machine.
And with Jump, it’s automated, white-labeled, and ridiculously affordable.

If you’re feeling the squeeze, this is how you get ahead.

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Get started for free and don't worry, we don't charge a revenue-share unlike other affiliate platforms.

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