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Register early—members get 20% off when enrolling 60+ days before courses start.
Boost efficiency, transparency, and accuracy in proposal management to improve contract outcomes.
Charting Your Course to Success
From foundational knowledge to advanced leadership skills, NIGP offers a wealth of tools and resources to help you navigate your professional journey and achieve your leadership goals.
Your step-by-step guide to a successful career in public procurement.
Get 20% off by registering 60 days prior to the course start date.
All the tools to help you successfully prepare for certification.
NIGP and Sourcewell are dedicated to lifelong learning and professional development for every member.
Start your job search in the field of Public Procurement.
A Network of 18,000+ Professionals working in the field of Public Procurement.
As volunteers serve the Institute, the Institute serves the profession, and the profession serves society.
Each year, NIGP recognizes members who have achieved hallmark status in the eyes of their peers.
Fostering stronger relationships between suppliers and our members.
Kirk Buffington
In this month’s Legally Speaking column, I am sharing a few ideas and strategies concerning the impending tariffs that may impact your supply contracts and procurement processes. The column proposes optional clauses to insert into supply contracts to provide your agency with maximum flexibility, while ensuring our suppliers are not unduly harmed.
The global trade environment has become increasingly volatile, with new tariffs being announced, implemented, and then rescinded. These tariffs can significantly affect the cost and availability of goods and services, impacting your ability to maintain a steady supply chain. It is essential that government agencies and suppliers work together strategically to navigate these changes and minimize disruptions.
Tariffs have the potential to increase the cost of imported goods, leading to higher prices for essential supplies. This can strain the agency budget and may require seeking alternative suppliers or renegotiating existing contracts. The uncertainty surrounding tariffs can also lead to delays in delivery and production, further complicating your procurement efforts.
Here are a few optional clauses that you may choose to add to your supply contracts. These clauses aim to provide the municipality with maximum flexibility to adapt to changing conditions, while ensuring a fair and cooperative relationship with our suppliers.
It is important that we approach these challenges as strategic partners rather than adversaries. Open communication and cooperation are key to maintaining a steady supply chain and avoiding undue interruptions. We should work together to identify and implement solutions that benefit both the agency and your suppliers.
If a supplier claims that tariffs have caused a price increase, you have every right (and duty) to ask for verifiable documentation to ensure the price change is legitimate and justified. Here’s a breakdown of what you should request:
Examples:
Request the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) code used for the product being imported.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule Information
Why: This ensures the product is subject to the tariff claimed.
Ask the supplier for:
This is your best proof that the supplier actually paid the tariff.
Key documents include:
Look for:
Addressing the challenges posed by pending and impending tariffs requires a proactive and flexible approach. By incorporating the proposed optional clauses into your supply contracts, you can provide your agency with the necessary tools to adapt to changing conditions, while maintaining a fair and cooperative relationship with your suppliers.
Kirk Buffington
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Mar 12, 2025