You wouldn’t believe the day I had yesterday! My phone was literally blowing up with calls from friends in the industry – everyone was freaking out about this Mexico situation. Let me fill you in on what’s happening…

So here’s the deal: remember that new 35% tariff on apparel blanks that just kicked in last week? Well, it’s causing absolute chaos. A ton of apparel manufacturers in Mexico have already had to shut their doors because they just can’t make the numbers work anymore. Crazy, right?

I just had to reach out and give you the heads up, especially if you’re working with some of those other providers. Providers that have Mexican production are Monster Digital (the largest DTG provider in the world that works with most if not all the print demand apps), Printful, and Gelato. I really don’t want you to get caught off guard here. From what I’m hearing, you might need to brace yourself for some pretty hefty price hikes, or – and I hate to say this – your provider might even have to close up shop entirely.

Come on Christopher aren’t you overreacting

I know this sounds completely wild, but I’m telling you – it’s actually happening. After all the calls I had yesterday, the reality is really sinking in. There’s no magic fix or workaround for this one.

Let me break this down for you – and trust me, after 12 years in the t-shirt printing game, I know what I’m talking about. This 35% tariff is absolutely WILD! We’re looking at an extra 70 cents to a whole dollar just on the blank shirts alone.

You know what’s crazy? There’s literally no wiggle room here. Like, zero. I’ve been in this business long enough to know that nobody – and I mean NOBODY – has an extra dollar of margin they can just eat up. And here’s the real kicker: if these manufacturers try to pass that cost along by raising their prices, they’ll price themselves right out of the market compared to US-made products.

It’s like being stuck between a rock and a hard place – they either lose money on every shirt or lose customers because their prices are too high. Either way… yikes. It’s basically a death sentence for their business model.

And here’s the thing that’s keeping me up at night: this might just be the beginning! You know how these things go – if Mexico and the US start trying to out-muscle each other, who knows what other tariffs might pop up? It’s like watching a game of economic chicken, and businesses are caught in the middle.

I hate being the bearer of bad news, but I’d rather you know what’s coming. We might be in for quite a ride in the coming months.

Spoiler Alert: teelaunch Customers Can Relax! We’ve Got You Covered

Great news for our teelaunch family! We want to reassure you that it’s business as usual for all our customers. We’ve always taken pride in manufacturing our apparel and products right here in the United States through the District Photo factories and our third party network, so these changes won’t affect us at all.

However, we wanted to give you a heads up – if you’re working with other vendors like Monster Digital or Printful, you’ll want to stay informed about how this might impact your business. These vendors may need to make some significant adjustments, whether that’s relocating their facilities to the US, updating their pricing, or reconsidering their operations.