Diagnostic laboratories must dig into where their suppliers source their items to avoid surprises
Clinical laboratories in the US are under additional financial and operational pressure because of tariff fluctuations from the federal government among global trading partners. This brief overview explores clinical lab tariff strategies that may help organizations better prepare for difficult stretches.
Across the overall laboratory industry—including diagnostics settings—average duties on imported lab equipment and consumables hover around 23%, with personal protective equipment, lab instruments, and supply chains facing even higher tariffs depending on their origin, according to a report from Lab Manager, a sibling brand to Dark Daily.
“Don’t assume that just because something is made in the United States that it will be tariff free because many of the components are not,” Drew Kevorkian, founder and CEO at ARES Scientific, told Lab Manager. ARES Scientific maintains a useful online tariff guide.
These nuances can escalate costs, complicate budgeting, and squeeze margins, all of which pose a risk to financial viability for clinical labs.
When it comes to clinical lab tariff strategies, the starting point is clear. “Assume costs are going up one way or another. The best thing to do is be well informed,” Drew Kevorkian, founder and CEO at ARES Scientific, told Lab Manager. (Photo copyright: Ares Scientific.)
Tariff-Influenced Areas for Clinical Labs to Consider
Managers and others who oversee budgeting or product procurement should think about the following aspects as they plan out their clinical lab tariff strategies:
Component audits. Labs should undertake an audit of their consumables down to the stock-keeping unit (SKU), which is an alphanumeric descriptor that identifies a product. The goal is to identify the source of the products to determine if they come from tariff-affected countries, Kevorkian noted. This exercise allows clinical lab professionals to forecast cost scenarios and make informed procurement decisions.
Reused lab instruments. Tariffs introduce an opportunity to think about acquiring certified refurbished lab equipment. Such items, often already in the US, can offer meaningful savings and avoid import duties, according to Lab Manager.
Investigate in vitro diagnostics (IVD) sourcing. Clinical labs should look into where their IVD suppliers get their components, according to The Dark Report. Even if a lab buys from American-based suppliers, the IVD companies a laboratory works with might have ties overseas that aren’t immediately obvious. “All IVD companies get components from China,” Rob LaCroix, executive director of global strategy at LTC LLC, told attendees at the 2025 Executive War College on Diagnostics, Clinical Laboratory, and Pathology Management. “Just-in-time [purchasing] with tariffs is a problem,” he noted.
Clinical Lab Tariff Strategies Should Model Various Budget Scenarios
Lab Manager suggested that laboratories build tiered budget models that consider various tariff scenarios:
- Baseline case assumes stable tariffs (around 23% as noted earlier).
- Worst case simulates escalation or new restrictions.
- Optimistic case explores tariff relief or exemptions.
These forecast ranges enable clinical labs to develop contingency plans, such as temporarily reducing discretionary spending or exploring ways to pass on incremental costs.
—Scott Wallask