MT Magazine September/October 2025

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2025

MANUFACTURING MATTERS

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Manufacturing Matters Check in for the highlights, headlines, and hijinks that matter to manufacturing. These lean news items keep you updated on the latest developments.

The Global Trade Landscape In a volatile global trade landscape, small and midsized manufacturers can take a page from GM’s playbook: Double down on your most profitable products and proven processes to stay grounded; invest in flexibility – modular systems, agile teams, and adaptable sourcing – to pivot quickly when needed; and repurpose idle capacity, talent, or technology to explore new markets or applications. You don’t need GM’s size to stay competitive – you need speed, focus, and the willingness to adapt. TECHNOLOGY

INTERNATIONAL

From Tariff Burden to Business Edge: The Power of Bonded Warehouses In an era of shifting trade policies and escalating tariff pressures, forward-thinking businesspeople are turning to bonded warehouses as a strategic imperative. These facilities offer the ability to defer duty payments – and far more. They are a tool to preserve liquidity, strengthen cash flow, and free up capital for growth while unlocking critical operational flexibility. By holding goods in a tariff-suspended environment, companies can reexport, reroute, or strategically time market entry, transforming tariffs from a rigid burden into a more controllable variable. This dual advantage – financial efficiency paired with agility – gives companies a powerful lever to optimize margins, safeguard supply chains, and respond swiftly to geopolitical or regulatory shifts. More than logistical convenience, bonded warehouses function as sophisticated solutions for resilience, ensuring global enterprises remain both profitable and adaptable in an increasingly unpredictable world.

Turning Trade Disruption Into Opportunity Through Talent Development Shifts in global trade impact more than machines; they reshape the workforce. Tariffs, supply chain realignments, and new facility investments all intensify the demand for skilled labor. For machine tool builders and distributors, talent strategy is as critical as trade strategy. That’s why workforce initiatives at home, like Smartforce Career Pathways at the Smartforce Student Summit at IMTS 2026, matter on a global scale. Pathways will help exhibitors promote entry-level roles to the more than 15,000 students attending IMTS 2026, build visibility with educators, and direct early-career talent to show booths. With an extended presence on IMTS.com through 2026, participating companies strengthen their employer brand while developing a pipeline that can adapt to changing international markets. Trade may be unpredictable, but talent development is a long-term play. Learn more at IMTS.com/Smartforce. SMARTFORCE