For most businesses, the United States has long represented a cornerstone of international growth. However, as has been evident in recent years, the landscape of North American trade is being reshaped by a level of regulatory and fiscal volatility that requires a fundamental shift in import and export strategy for most businesses.

The current environment is no longer defined by stable, predictable market access. Instead, businesses are navigating a scenario where tariff structures, customs protocols, and supply chain compliance requirements can shift within a week, making long-term supply chain planning an increasingly complex exercise.

Read on to master the new rules of the North American market, ensuring your supply chain remains profitable and compliant no matter how fast the regulatory winds shift.

The emergence of trade uncertainty

The primary challenge facing businesses looking to enter the US market is not a lack of demand. The US consumer market remains robust, but the emergence of trade policy uncertainty is a primary operational risk. The last 14 months have seen unprecedented shifts in US trade policy.

In 2025, the implementation of “Liberation Day” tariffs, ranging from 11% to 50% for many nations, sent shockwaves through global supply chains. While the US Supreme Court recently ruled on February 20, 2026, that certain unilateral tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were unlawful, the relief was short-lived.

Within days of the ruling, a new 10% blanket tariff was announced under section 122 of the Trade Act, with threats to increase this to 15% for a wider range of goods, which US policymakers deem necessary to address the trade deficit.

As Pinsent Masons Analysis stated about the blanket tariffs, “this is just the latest twist in the US tariff policy rollercoaster which seems to have upended the global rules-based trading system and created uncertainty for businesses trading with the US.”

And, to add to the confusion with tariffs, because Section 122 tariffs are legally capped at 150 days without Congressional approval, they are inherently temporary, which increases risk for logistics and supply chain managers who cannot guarantee landed costs for shipments in the US arriving later in the year.

For UK companies exporting to North America, the fiscal impact is tangible. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) estimates that recent escalations could add an extra £2–3 billion in costs for UK goods entering the US.

While certain sectors like automotive are currently exempt from the temporary tariffs, the broader SME community remains caught in a cycle of tariff fatigue.

Granular shifts affecting supply chain integrity

Understanding the US challenge in 2026 requires looking past the tariff headlines and into the granular shifts affecting logistics and supply chain integrity. We are also seeing a hardening of the US border, characterized by intensified scrutiny of “Country of Origin” claims. If your product has even a small percentage of components from restricted regions, you could find your entire shipment flagged.

Furthermore, the removal of the $800 de minimis threshold has brought thousands of previously exempt SME exporters into the full scope of US Customs documentation and duty requirements. This tightening of compliance means that administrative errors now carry higher financial and reputational risks than ever before.

For businesses, the pass-through effect is hitting a tipping point. In 2025, many US importers absorbed initial costs to maintain market share. However, by February 2026, an estimated 31% to 63% of tariff increases are being reflected in higher prices for US consumers. Recent analysis by the Tax Foundation suggests that these cumulative tariffs could translate to as much as an additional $1,300 to average US household costs in 2026.

And, taking UK companies as an example, passing on these administrative and customs costs will reduce the competitiveness of British goods, as North American customers tighten their belts on their shrinking disposable incomes. From research conducted by East Midlands Chamber, one in four UK exporters believe a 10–15% rise in costs would put more than half of their international sales at risk.

Reactive to structural optimization

In this environment, successful firms are moving away from reactive measures and toward deeper structural optimization, with the goal being to build a business model that is resilient to knee-jerk policy shifts. According to the 2026 Global Trade Report by Thomson Reuters, 65% of trade professionals are currently fundamentally restructuring their supply chains, viewing these shifts not as temporary hurdles but as a permanent change in the cost of doing business in North America.

A critical component of this optimization is the strategic use of Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs), like our own FTZ in Atlanta Georgia. By using these designated areas, companies can treat their goods as being legally outside US Customs territory even while they are physically stored on American soil. This allows for the indefinite deferral of duty payments until the product actually enters the US market for sale.

Using this tactic, in a high-tariff environment, means the benefits lie in cash-flow advantages, with companies able to avert the upfront tax on inventory that may sit in a warehouse for months. Additionally, if goods are re-exported from an FTZ to a third country, the US duties can be avoided entirely, providing a vital safety valve for firms using the US as a regional hub.

Beyond logistics, we are seeing a significant evolution in commercial legal strategy. Businesses are now re-drafting supply chain agreements to include specific tariff-related renegotiation clauses. These provisions move away from rigid pricing models toward shared risk frameworks, where the burden of sudden surcharges are distributed equitably across the partnership. In real terms for UK businesses, this collaborative approach prevents the margin shock from falling solely on the UK exporter and ensures that US distributors remain incentivized to keep British products on their shelves.

Navigating 2026 regulatory milestones

And, there appears to be more complexities in US trade coming over the course of 2026. We are currently approaching a major milestone that will define the next decade of trade with North America – The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) review in July 2026.

The USMCA review is not expected to be the simple rubber stamp exercise it was once considered to be. Instead, the US Trade Representative has indicated that the review will be used to address economic nationalism concerns, potentially tightening Rules of Origin for everything, from currently exempt automotive parts to advanced electronics.

For UK firms integrated into the North American market, this could mean that components previously deemed compliant may soon face new barriers. Success in this climate requires an understanding of how these legislative changes make an impact.

The key to supply chain resilience in North America

A vital part of supply chain resilience in the North American market is about having the expertise to audit your supply chain for hidden exposures, and operate proactively before any policy takes effect.

At Unipart, we have spent decades doing just that, facilitating the entry and expansion of major UK companies into and within the US and Canada. Our longevity in the region means we have navigated multiple cycles of trade volatility, and have experts in the region who know how to overcome these.

Our North America team partners with organisations to support your business through these current challenges. Our presence within North America allows us to provide the real-time intelligence and historical context necessary to protect your margins in the world’s most lucrative, yet currently most volatile, market.

Read our case study on how we supported Pro:Direct’s 15-year strategic expansion in the US to see how our Atlanta-based operations and scalable logistics solutions help businesses thrive in the North American region.