Tariffs Threaten U.S. Science Labs with Rising Costs and Supply Uncertainty

New U.S. import tariffs introduced by the Trump administration are driving up the cost of scientific equipment and lab supplies — just as American research institutions face tightening budgets and canceled grants. Tariffs range from 10% on some imports to as high as 54% on Chinese goods and are affecting everything from basic glassware to high-end lab instruments.

“We’re already seeing quotes that are 20% higher than they were yesterday,” says Drew Kevorkian, CEO of ARES Scientific, a Florida-based lab equipment supplier. “Nearly every lab will feel the price hike in some way”.

The first wave of tariffs took effect on April 5, with steeper increases coming on April 9 for selected countries. The impact on scientific infrastructure could be long-lasting, warns Tinglong Dai, a global supply chain expert at Johns Hopkins University. “This isn’t just about cutting costs — it could be a breaking point for many labs already under financial stress,” he says.

Science Feels the Ripple Effects

The United States imports billions of dollars in lab supplies each year. Affected countries include China, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, and EU member states — all of which supply key materials such as reagents, diagnostic tools, and precision instruments. Even close trade partners like Canada and Mexico are impacted, despite providing essential lab equipment such as DNA sequencers and plasticware.

These aren’t optional extras, Dai notes — “they’re the core infrastructure of modern science”.

President Trump defended the tariffs on April 2 as a necessary response to a “national emergency,” pledging they would revive domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on “foreign adversaries.” The announcement sent shockwaves through global markets and prompted warnings from the International Monetary Fund about risks to the global economy.

From Microscopes to Microchips: What’s at Stake?

China exports a wide range of lab essentials to the U.S., including glass tubes, reagents, incubators, LCDs, and semiconductors. Germany and Japan provide precision devices and high-end microscopes. Switzerland and the UK are major sources of specialty chemicals and diagnostic kits. Even domestically manufactured equipment isn’t immune: many U.S.-made devices rely on imported components.

“A DNA sequencer built in California might still need optics from Germany or semiconductors from China,” Dai explains.

Kevorkian notes that even with tariffs, some overseas products remain cheaper than their U.S. alternatives. “Believe it or not, we’re still getting better deals abroad — even after duties”.

Changing Suppliers Isn’t Easy

Canan Gunes Corlu, a supply chain researcher at Boston University, warns that finding new suppliers is far from straightforward. “You don’t just switch vendors overnight. It takes time to build trust and verify quality,” she says.

While the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains, it also left many companies better prepared for disruption, Corlu adds. However, some tools — like high-end optical microscopes — simply aren’t made in the U.S., making the added cost unavoidable.

Global Impact and Long-Term Outlook

The consequences might not be limited to U.S. labs. Other nations — including the UK, EU, and China — are already considering retaliatory tariffs, which could push lab supply prices higher across the globe.

“We may be at the beginning of a tariff-driven spiral that disrupts science internationally,” Dai warns.

Still, Kevorkian sees a potential silver lining. Rising prices might force labs to focus on quality over quantity. “Researchers may start investing in more durable, higher-performance equipment — things that last longer and require less maintenance,” he says. “In the short term, it hurts. But in the long term, it might make science more efficient”.