Supply chains are the backbone of every industry and influence the success of a business in almost every aspect.  

The news of a new wave of tariffs was circling the business community at the start of 2025. Even with mere speculation, we were the first to foresee a major disruption in the global supply chains that always remain volatile.  

Fast forward after eight months, the reality has come hurtling down at a rate of knots. Businesses big or small are all reeling from the negative tariff impact.  

Today, the policy changes are not just footnotes in strategy meetings but quite visible, rippling through factory floors, balance sheets, and product roadmaps. 

What’s more worrying is that the tariff debate is not settling down anytime soon and many countries are still trying to negotiate a better deal.  

The shifts are more profound in the textile and apparel industry. Brands, retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers face shrinking margins, canceled orders, and shifting buyer expectations.  

With the cracks of supply chain networks widening, companies are forced to look for cheaper production sites and compromise quality in the process.  

In this “tariff era,” reactive cost-cutting or lobbying will only serve as a temporary relief. There can never be a more critical juncture than this with more questions than answers.  

Let us explore the complex checkerboard and draw out future moves. 

A Global Wake-Up Call: What’s Really Happening with Tariffs? 

Over the past 8 months, the global tariff map has changed dramatically. The U.S.-China trade dispute may have lit the fuse, but what we’re now seeing is a domino effect. The US-India trade friction is pretty evident.  

At the start of April 2025, the U.S. administration announced a policy of “reciprocal tariffs” to be applied all trading partners. A universal or baseline tariff of 10% imposed on imports from all countries. However, additional taxes vary from one country to another.  

Let us view how tariff rates impacted countries that lead the apparel exports  

• The new series of series taxes really did deepen the US-China trade relations with US announcing a 145% tariff and China retaliating with 125% tariff on American goods. However, after many negotiations the rates are locked at 30% on Chinese imports and 10% on US imports. 
• A 37% tariff rate was imposed on Bangladesh, but it managed to negotiate and bring it down to 20%.  
• Vietnam faced a hefty 46% initial rate but managed to lessen it 20%. However, “transshipped” goods (goods coming via other countries, etc.) may still face higher rates (up to 40 %). 
• India and US trade relations continue to deteriorate, and India faces a whopping 50% tariff. 
• Pakistan’s textile and agricultural exports faced a 29% tariff initially but after reconsiderations it is reduced to 19%.  

The apparel industry is one of the few that is globally dispersed and relies heavily on global supply chains. It’s no wonder it is particularly sensitive to tariffs, duties, origin rules, and trade agreements. 

As global trade experts have observed, tariffs are now being used not just as a lever to protect industries, but to push agendas. The sudden increase in the tariff talk suggests it’s here to shape future alliances, control supply chains, and influence diplomatic behavior. 

What seems likely moving forward: 

• Further escalation, perhaps in forms of non‑tariff barriers (e.g. stricter rules of origin, compliance audits, sustainability or labor standards) 
• For countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and presumably Myanmar, these tariff shifts threaten jobs, export revenues, and economic stability. The trend will likely continue unless their governments respond with policy mitigation (negotiate lower tariffs, diversify markets, and improve competitiveness). 
• Buyers/brands reaction; some are re‑routing orders away from higher‑tariff jurisdictions. Others are absorbing cost or opting for nearshoring garments to markets where the tariff burden is lower. 

In the tariff era, avoiding costly rework and rejections is critical — QUONDA ensures consistent quality through real-time, digital inspections. 

👉 See QUONDA in action – Request a Demo Now 

How Tariffs are Disrupting the Textile & Apparel Industry 

Tariffs are reshaping global trade across industries. As one of the most export-dependent and cost-sensitive industries, apparel is now at the frontlines of tariff-driven disruption. From rising production costs to shifting buyer strategies, the disruption looks to linger on for the coming months 

Here’s what that means on the ground for brands, retailers, exporters, and workers. 

Increase Cost of Goods and Lower Margins  

Tariffs raise the total cost of exports. Brands and manufacturers are absorbing some of that increase and reprice the goods for the buyers to stay competitive. But it means reducing the already thin profit margins. 

Order Cancellations / Delays 
Brands, and retailers are pausing and cancelling orders as the tariff changes are making cost projections uncertain. Many are rethinking garment sourcing strategy and moving to more predictable markets. However, this action is putting a stop to already established long-term supplier relationships.

Competitive Shifts 
Countries with lower production costs and favorable trade terms gain an edge. Exporters in Vietnam or Bangladesh, for example, attract more orders due to less tariff rate as compared to India. 

Supply Chain Strain 
Tariffs complicate logistics and impact entire workflow. The raw material import costs, freight, compliance paperwork all add friction. Subsequently, delays and uncertainty slow delivery timelines and exchange rate swings amplify the financial risk. 

Employment and Investment risk

Factory owners, especially in regions with lower margins or smaller scale, may reduce hiring, delay expansion, or shut down operations. 

Color mismatches and approval delays can drive up costs — ColordesQ brings speed, accuracy, and control to every stage of color management. 

👉 Start your color control upgrade – Try ColordesQ Today 

Digital Resilience: How Technology Can Help 

As someone with over 30 years in the textile, fashion, and supply chain industry, it is easy to have deeper understanding on it's intricacies. challenges, solutions, and trends. The reality is that tariffs will remain in place for another 4 years.  

The response to trade uncertainty does not have to be reactive and limited to lobbying or cost cutting.  

So, what’s the way forward? 

Digitization with emphasis on visibility, accuracy, speed, and transparency across the value chain. These are the very elements that also led me to pioneer a fashion tech firm in the form of ‘Triple Tree Solutions.’ 

Supply Chain Visibility  

Digitally tracking materials and processes helps ensure compliance with origin, rules, labor laws, and sustainability standards. It is essential for market access and buyer confidence. 

Color / Design Management  

Digital design and sampling tools reduce waste, cut down rework, and streamline communication between designers, factories, and buyers. It helps to speed up time to market. 

Order Life‑cycle Tracking 

Real-time tracking of orders allows teams to spot bottlenecks early, adjust timelines, manage risks, and respond to disruptions with greater accuracy and speed. 

Data Analytics 

Advanced analytics provide insights on raw material trends, tariff impacts, and competitor benchmarks. The objective is to enable smarter decisions and scenario planning under volatile trade conditions. 

When tariffs make delays more expensive than ever, TrackIT gives you real-time visibility across production and purchase orders. 

👉 Gain full order visibility – Explore TrackIT and Integrate It Now 

How Digital Tools from Triple Tree Solutions make a Difference 

Triple Tree Solutions is a tech provider delivering digital software that helps to perform numerous tasks that streamline apparel production. The software solutions aim to help brands, suppliers, and manufacturers improve product quality, speed up communication, and manage risk more effectively. It allows brands to perform digital inspection, color control, order tracking, and analytics to help manage cost pressures in apparel. 

Here is how to update your apparel supply chain strategy 

QUONDA: Digital Quality Management for Inline and Final Inspection 

QUONDA is a digital quality inspection system that supports both inline (during production) and final (pre‑shipment) quality control. It captures inspection data, defects, and sends reports in real time. 

Key Features: 

• Digital checklists for inspections – configurable to product, defect type, and tolerance levels. 
• Photo‑/video‑based defect logging, and severity grading. 
• Dashboard analytics to monitor quality trends, and recurring issues. 
• Integration with workflows to allow teams (QC, production, buyer) to ensue all quality requirements are met. 

How this helps in the Tariff Era: 

QUONDA helps to maintain product quality to prevent rejections that cost extra duty/tariffs or returns. It speeds up corrective action, so goods comply with buyer or regulatory standards which are required to avoid penalty tariffs. The data and reports help demonstrate compliance (e.g., labor, safety, origin) to customs or auditors that reduces risk of duty and hold‑ups. 

ColordesQ: Comprehensive Color Management and Quality Control  

ColordesQ is an advanced digital solution to manage color consistency and quality across design, sampling, and production stages. It ensures that what was approved at sample/design stage is reproducible in bulk production. 

Key Features: 

• Color matching and standardization tools (digital color swatches, spectrophotometer / digital inputs). 
• Visual comparisons and color tolerance checks under any light source to remove metamerism. 
• Sample tracking, feedback loop between designer, and supplier. 
• Digital color library to pick any color or add new colors to your particular collection. 

How this helps in the Tariff Era: 

ColordesQ is a digital color management solution for textiles with proven results. The primary impact is reducing waste and costly re‑work that add to the expenses and push up the landed cost (inc. tariff base). Brands and suppliers can communicate easily and avoid the need for physical samples for approvals. ColordesQ can help you preserve margins when tariffs amplify even small cost overruns. 

TrackIT: Real‑Time Production & Purchase Order Tracking 

TrackIT is a digital order / production tracking tool that gives visibility over production stages, logistics, and PO status from raw material to shipment. 

Key Features: 

• Real‑time status updates of POs and production stages. 
• Alerts for delays or bottlenecks.  
• Dashboard views for order status: on schedule vs delayed, cost vs planned, and resource constraints. 
• Vendor scorecard to rate suppliers based on performance metrics like delivery, quality, and responsiveness. 

How this helps in the Tariff Era: 

TrackIT offers digital tracking in apparel supply chain to anticipate delays (shipping, customs) and adjust sourcing, timelines, or negotiate with buyers. It gives better forecasting of landed cost, including tariff impacts that prevents surprises. The software’s innovative features enhance ability to comply with logistics / origin rules (documentation, traceability) which are required to avoid extra duties or tariff penalties. 

Conclusion — A Call to Proactive Adaptation 

The apparel and textile world is navigating turbulent tariff waters — with rising costs, shifting sourcing, and relentless pressure on speed and compliance. 

No digital system can erase the disruption of a sudden factory shift. But operating without real-time data, oversight, or traceability only makes things worse. 

In a world where trade rules can change overnight, brands need supply chain visibility tools for their core operations. Only employing a digital approach can enable resilient apparel supply chains 

At Triple Tree Solutions, we’re here to help you stay ahead with smart, scalable tools that bring clarity, control, and confidence to every step of your supply chain. 

Struggling with Rising Tariffs and Supply Chain Uncertainty? 
 

Triple Tree Solutions gives you QUONDA, ColordesQ, and TrackIT to stay in control — from real-time quality checks to smart order tracking and color accuracy. Build resilience, reduce costly errors, and move faster with data you can trust. 

Partner with Triple Tree to turn trade challenges into a competitive edge.