A New Round Of Tariff Wars: How Will It Affect Dentistry?

On June 4, Donald Trump will launch his new initiative regarding trade fees on a wide range of essential high-tech materials used in production. Such changes, undoubtedly, will affect most of the manufacturing, including the healthcare industry and dentistry in particular.

More expensive materials will lead to increased prices for restorative procedures and dental tools, but the absolute scale of the problem remains unclear. In this article, we collected recent data regarding the issue and dental experts' recommendations on how to prepare your facility for the "coming storm."

What exactly happened?

Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed President Trump's efforts to implement his new tariff policy. In the last few days of May, the Court of International Trade blocked Trump's taxes, which he had imposed on almost all US trade partners, including the EU, China, Mexico, and other countries.

The white House immediately moved to appeal, and the Federal Court temporarily halted the Court of International Trade decision, which made it possible for Trump to continue his "tariffs crusade" against... almost anyone.

Then, Trump, during his visit to Pennsylvania, announced that he would raise import taxes on steel by 50%. Additionally, on his Truth social media account, the president stated that he would double the aluminum tariffs, increasing them to 50%.

Of course, the EU answered that they would implement countermeasures if these tariff hikes – 27 countries will "answer" accordingly to Trump's actions. The final date for these measures to take effect is July 14, after final negotiations regarding this matter have concluded.

What does it mean for dentists?

Dental labs and clinics utilize various materials (including titanium), which are subject to recent tariff changes, to produce implants, crowns, bridges, and other essential components used in restorative procedures. According to DentistryToday media, such changes will immediately lead to increased prices for dental care. Labs can not absorb such a dramatic rise in costs, and thus, they need to request more money for procedures.

The most vulnerable countries to novel tariffs are those in the Southeast Asian region, including Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia, given their high demand for high-quality dental materials and hardware.

Additionally, the rising cost of aluminum is expected to increase the price of dental tools, such as 3D printers, scanners, and mills, by 15-30%, according to the EvidentDigital portal. Another factor that will be affected by new tariffs is logistics – material and hardware providers will be forced to adjust their supply chains to minimize the rise in production costs.

How do you handle new challenges?

With Trump's aggressive trade policies, raising prices on dental services and tools will be inevitable. Therefore, the best decision to minimize damage to your facilities is to be prepared in advance:

1. Inform your patients. Proper and sincere communication with your clients can help you retain them after shifting your price policies. Clinic managers should leave a simple message on their clinics' websites and social media, informing patients that, due to recent changes in global trade conditions, they may notice a rise in the cost of their services.
2. Diversify your sources. Revise your supply chains and try to find more suppliers from different parts of the world so you can use some of them according to the current tax policies.
3. Find an alternative. The US is an integral part of worldwide dental hardware production, but not the only one. Thus, some experts recommend paying attention to Canadian products, which have the same high quality but are not as well-known at the moment.

The whole scale of the future crisis will become more clear after the EU and China implement countermeasures to Trump's initiative. Still, the mentioned measures are necessary for both optimistic and pessimistic outcomes.