We're Not Going to Pretend the Tariffs Aren't Happening

You've probably already heard the news. On July 24th, the federal government imposed new tariffs on imports from 60 countries—including most of the places where lighting products are manufactured. If you're an electrician or contractor, that affects almost every supplier you buy from. Including us.

We import the majority of our inventory. We're not going to dance around that. So, here's what's happening, what it means for your costs, and what we're doing about it.

Tariff Break Down

The U.S. Trade Representative hit 60 countries with new Section 301 tariffs—10% to 12.5% on top of existing import duties—as pressure to ban goods made with forced labor. Noble goal. Real cost. The countries on the list include China, Vietnam, and most of Southeast Asia, which together produce the vast majority of the world's lighting products.
This isn't a Sunco problem. It's an industry-wide problem. Every supplier you work with is dealing with the same thing right now.

What We Are Doing 

We stocked up. Before the July 24th effective date, we moved aggressively on inventory so we could hold current pricing on our most popular SKUs for as long as possible. That buffer won't last forever, but it buys us time—and it buys you time.
We're renegotiating with suppliers. Long relationships matter here. We're working directly with our manufacturing partners to absorb as much of the cost increase as we can before it hits your invoice.

We're being honest about what we can't hold. Some products will go up in price. When they do, we'll tell you in advance—not bury it in a terms update you'd never see.

What Can You Do

If you've got upcoming projects you're already quoting, lock in your materials now. Current pricing is current pricing until it isn't.

If you're buying in volume, talk to our sales team. Tiered pricing still exists, and buying more units at once is one of the most direct ways to offset per-unit cost increases.

If a job is 60 or 90 days out, don't wait. The whole industry is in the same boat—lead times and prices will move together as everyone catches up to the new cost structure.

The Bottom Line

We'd rather be straight with you than pretend everything is fine. Tariffs are real, the impact is real, and every supplier in this industry is navigating it. What we can control is how we handle it and we're handling it by protecting your costs as aggressively as we can, for as long as we can.

Questions? Our team is available at support@sunco.com or by calling us at (844) 334-9938