At Blue Robotics, we like to keep things open. This time we’re talking about tariffs: what’s changed, how they are affecting our costs, and what that means for you.
Tariffs
In mid-2025, the US put tariffs on a wide range of goods imported to the USA. This means that US companies and consumers pay significantly more for products that they buy from outside the US.
We firmly disagree with these tariffs. While we assemble our products in the US, we rely on parts from around the world (and many from the US) to make that possible. In particular, we are most affected by tariffs on goods from China (~60% tariff), Norway (~15% tariff), and the United Kingdom (~10% tariff).
The Ocean is Global
Our mission to enable marine robotics is, by definition, a global one, and these tariffs do nothing but harm us, our customers, and the future of our oceans.
We’re doing everything we can to minimize the impact, keeping the following values in mind:
- We will only increase prices by the amount our cost is increased or less
- We will prioritize product quality, which means using the best vendors for each part
- We will make sure that we can continue to be successful and achieve our mission
All Customers: A Small Price Increase
Thanks to our customs drawback process, we’re able to recover the majority of the duties paid on parts that are later exported. This means that, for now, our international customers will only see a small price increase of 5-6% on most products. This represents the portion of tariffs that we are not able to recover.
U.S. Customers: A Surcharge Ahead
In addition to the price increase, we have implemented a tariff surcharge on orders shipped within the United States. This surcharge represents the tariff cost impact. The surcharge is clearly indicated on the relevant product pages and in your cart at checkout.
Some organizations, such as universities, may hold duty-free status, which can exempt them from paying government-imposed taxes. However, this status does not extend to vendor-applied fees. At Blue Robotics, our tariff surcharge is not a government duty, it is a company policy designed to offset the government-imposed tariff costs that we are required to pay on imported goods. Because of this, the surcharge applies to all U.S. customers equally, regardless of duty-free status.
Assembled in the U.S.
We take pride in assembling our products in our own community, employing a dedicated manufacturing team of around 30 people. Our commitment to local production ensures quality and supports local jobs. However, the introduction of tariffs presents challenges, and we want to be upfront about how these changes might affect our pricing.
As always, please let us know if you have any questions!