Automotive Targeted – But Not in Isolation

It’s been confirmed: the 25% US tariff is specifically aimed at UK-made vehicles, including cars and light trucks.

But there’s more to the story:
- All UK goods entering the US now face a 10% blanket tariff
- Steel and aluminium products — common in containment systems — are also hit with 25% tariffs
- While data cabling itself hasn’t been directly targeted, components within cabling systems and support structures may be affected by rising material costs or changes in supplier priorities

The Role of Data Cabling in Manufacturing — And What’s at Risk

Data cabling plays a pivotal role in manufacturing environments, supporting:
- Machine-to-machine communication and control
- Industrial networking and real-time monitoring
- IoT integration and automation systems
- Power-over-Ethernet for security, access control, and surveillance

As large manufacturers reassess capital expenditure in light of lost export margin, don’t be surprised if some infrastructure upgrades are delayed or rephased — especially where the works are considered enhancements rather than essentials.

What’s Likely to Rise — and Why?

With shifting costs and disrupted supply chains, some price increases are possible — mainly driven by raw material inputs and production adjustments.

What May Rise:
- Steel or aluminium-based containment systems, trays, and brackets
- Bespoke or heavy-duty cable assemblies that include metallic or imported components
- Fixings, enclosures, and accessories where raw input prices are globally indexed

What’s Likely to Stay Stable:
- Standard copper and fibre cabling
- Mainstream accessories and connectors
- Products with strong EU/global competition (where pricing pressure remains)

In some cases, manufacturers may absorb small increases to protect UK market share — but on specialist or metal-intensive items, slight price lifts should be expected.

What Contractors & Consultants Should Do

1. Focus on Active Sectors
   Prioritise logistics, healthcare, data centres, and other resilient markets — these remain investment-positive.
   
   2. Support Spec Reviews
   If a product becomes unavailable or costlier, help clients navigate workable, quality alternatives — especially around containment and accessories.
   
   3. Watch the Manufacturing Sector Closely
      Internal projects may stall while export-heavy firms pause and re-plan. But not everything stops — anything tied to uptime, compliance, or safety still moves.

Final Word: Focus, Not Fear

Yes — the 2025 tariffs will reshape some priorities. But the UK's cabling and infrastructure work doesn’t vanish. It shifts. Projects may be delayed, not cancelled. Manufacturers may pause, but logistics, healthcare, energy and data centre sectors continue to invest heavily.

And importantly — let’s not forget — the data cabling industry itself is booming. Demand is being driven by cloud expansion, AI infrastructure, smart warehousing, edge computing, and the ongoing digitisation of everything from hospitals to transport hubs. The backbone of all that? Structured cabling, connectivity, and containment.

So while some sectors recalibrate, others are ramping up — creating plenty of opportunity for those ready to move with the market.

Stay agile. Stay informed. Stay client-focused. That’s how contractors, consultants and suppliers can not only weather this shift — but come out stronger on the other side.