Tariffs recently imposed by multiple countries are making it more challenging to obtain parts.
The theory of the tariffs imposed by the US is to encourage onshore manufacturing by domestic producers. This is done by making the offshore options more expensive to use through the application of tariffs.
We’ve already seen the cost of some 3D printers rise in the US as a result of import tariffs, which is unfortunate as there are few US domestic options for similar 3D printer products.
The tariffs affect more than just 3D printers themselves; they also apply to 3D printed parts that are made by service bureaus. These operations accept part design files and make the parts on their own equipment, shipping the parts to the requestor when done.
I did an informal survey by performing a quote on several popular 3D print services to understand how the pricing breaks down between providers.
I selected a part I had been recently working on, and attempted to get a production quote for this part in unfinished 316L stainless steel metal. This is a popular material, and is almost universally offered by metal 3D print services.
Here’s what I found:
- Xometry: US$1258.28
- Protolabs: US$1813.78
- i.Materialise: €1096.33 (US$1261.16)
Xometry and Protolabs are US-based, and therefore immune to tariffs. The i.Materialise service is based in Europe, and would likely incur some level of tariffs, making that option a bit more expensive.
However, the real target of the tariffs for the US is China, and one of the more popular 3D print services there is PCBWay. Their quote for the exact same part and specifications was only US$243.
That’s less than 20% of the US-based services. Even with a 100% tariff, that particular part would still be half price when using the offshore service. While I did not price other China-based services, it’s likely their quotes would be in a similar price range.
What does this mean? At least for metal printing services, the imposition of tariffs would do little to encourage the use of US domestic services if price was the only factor involved.
It also makes one wonder what efficiencies have been developed by PCBWay to achieve this incredibly low price point. It also makes one wonder if the US-based services really are competitive.
If the goal is to encourage manufacturing in the US, there seems to be quite a lot of effort required to bring costs down.
