American forklift distributors only have a couple of options as President Trump's tariffs continue to impact on Chinese imports.
They can either increase prices to offset rising costs, including of both raw materials and fully built forklifts, or they can ramp up local production and reduce their reliance on Chinese imports.
This week, we report on the first notable move in the latter direction, with indications that the KION Group will expand its factory in South Carolina to increase production and cut back on Chinese imports.
It will be interesting to see if other mainstream brands, which have extended their made-in-the-USA lines with cheaper imports, follow suit.