MRO suppliers monitoring tariffs before altering strategies

ATLANTA — Companies in the MRO supply chain providing support to carriers will not rush to shift their strategies in spite of the new global trade tariffs. It is too early to determine how the tariffs will alter the supply chain and the risk to Boeing’s supply base, William Ampofo, senior vice president of parts, distribution and supply chain, said during a panel discussion at MRO Americas on April 8. [caption id="attachment_57150262" align="aligncenter" width="841"] A panel on supply chain readiness at MRO Americas 2025. (Photo/Cargo Facts)[/caption] “We’ve got some suppliers that are planning force majeure and are looking at surcharges and opportunities to pass those along,” Ampofo said. “Every day is a new day, and we’ve just got to make sure that right now we’re focused on the shortness of supply and how that may impact us going forward.” “Force majeure” refers to the contractual clause releasing providers from liability for non-performance based on events beyond their control. Boeing is among the aerospace companies monitoring the market’s response to the tariffs and how they could alter global trade and supply chains. “We’re trying to figure out what is going on,” Patrick Markham, vice president of technical services at HEICO Aerospace, said. “We have an interesting perspective as we have some HEICO companies in Europe, some in the United States, so we’re potentially on both sides of the discussion. And, since aerospace has largely historically been tariff-free, this is relatively new for us.” Mulling alternative supply sources For years, most aerospace companies have not incurred duties to move materials around the world, thanks to the World Trade Organization’s 1979 Agreement on Trade in Civil Aircraft. “It’s just the transit costs,” Markham said, referencing the pre-tariff cost of doing business. “But now you start to think, if we’ve got warehousing facilities in the United Kingdom or Europe, does it make sense to not bring the parts across to the U.S. if they’re going to go back over there?” As a global planemaker, Boeing is evaluating how supply chain trends and developments have evolved over the past few years as it weighs its options. “I think one of the key tenets of having a robust supply chain is making sure we, on occasion, do what I call ‘tabletop exercises,’” Ampofo said, referring to how Boeing strategizes supply chain alternatives in an industry that has seen much consolidation. “Where you may have had two or three sources through consolidation and acquisition, that two to three has become one again,” Ampofo said. “So, your single source of failure is, once again, at your doorstep. From a commodity and category strategy perspective, it’s looking at your major spend categories, and saying, ‘Where is the single point of failure? What would happen if?’ “Then you start the certification and identification of new sources of supply,” he said. “That’s something our team looks at frequently.” Register now for Cargo Facts EMEA, an essential regional event for industry stakeholders, on May 6-8 at the Shangri-La Bosphorus in Turkey.

MRO suppliers monitoring tariffs before altering strategies

MRO Americas 2025

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