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.
Robert Michel, founder of TDIG and editor-in-chief of The Dark Report, explained that the acquisition serves as step one to winding down his long career.
“First and most important, this starts my path toward retirement,” Michel said in the March 10 issue of The Dark Report. “I’ve served in the clinical laboratory industry for 34 years now. That’s one-third of a century!”
More Options Ahead for Dark Daily Readers
In purchasing the assets of TDIG, LabX Media Group adds to its powerhouse of resources for clinical laboratory leaders, including Today’s Clinical Lab, G2 Intelligence, and Lab Manager.
The deal will give readers of Dark Daily further options from which to get their laboratory science and operations information, as Today’s Clinical Lab provides free content in areas such as pathology and clinical laboratory technology.
Additionally, “The lab science coverage in Today’s Clinical Lab complements the business intelligence of The Dark Report, allowing LabX Media to offer a more comprehensive range of information for clinical lab professionals,” Today’s Clinical Lab wrote last week.
“The good news for all the clients and long-time readers of The Dark Report is that LabX has both the capital and the specialized expertise required to keep The Dark Report, Dark Daily, and the Executive War College at the top of their games going forward,” said Robert Michel (above), founder of The Dark Intelligence Group, which sold its assets to LabX Media Group. (Photo copyright: LabX.)
Statement on LabX Purchase of The Dark Intelligence Group
In a statement about this transaction, LabX Media Group CEO Bob Kafato said: “We are excited to formally recognize these new additions to the LMG family. TDIG’s flagship publication, The Dark Report, has a 30-year track record of delivering timely business intelligence to the leaders of North America’s most successful clinical laboratories, genetic testing companies, and anatomic pathology groups. During these same 30 years, the Executive War College has become the biggest and the highest-profile laboratory management conference in North America.”
Michel will serve as an advisor to LabX Media Group to ensure a smooth transition while continuing to provide strategic consulting services to the lab industry.
Who is LabX Media Group?
LabX Media Group is a leading business-to-business science media company delivering award-winning editorial coverage, essential industry news, analysis, and insights for members of the scientific research and life science communities. LabX Media Group connects laboratory professionals with resources to help them make smarter buying decisions through powerful, market-leading brands.
One interesting final fact: TDIG and LabX Media Group both were founded in 1995 and are celebrating their respective 30-year anniversaries, Michel noted.
Blame it on the recession of 2008-2010, but the findings are not auspicious for medical laboratories
Salaries and compensation paid to medical technologists (MT) and other skilled clinical laboratory professionals are not keeping pace with yearly increases in the cost of living. This is distressing news for every pathologist and clinical laboratory manager concerned about the constantly growing shortage of MTs and Clinical Laboratory Scientists to staff the nation’s medical laboratories.
For example, one recent national salary survey determined that 24% of laboratorians received no salary increase in 2010! About 42% received an annual increase of between 2% and 4%. Another 20% received just 2% or less. This survey also reported that 28% of medical laboratory professionals received bonuses. These bonuses were based on their salaries or days off in lieu of extra pay. Overall, however, since 2008, this salary survey concluded that salaries for clinical laboratory professionals have increased since 2008.
