3 Key Takeaways from Our Supply Chain Tariff Webinar

On August 5th, 2025 Blue Onion had the pleasure of hosting a webinar with supply chain expert Ashley Brandau, diving deep into the evolving landscape of tariffs, global sourcing, and how finance and operations leaders can respond. As someone focused on how finance teams can work more strategically, I walked away from the session with several tangible, actionable insights, things I hadn’t fully appreciated until Ashley laid them out.

Here are the top three things I learned from the conversation that I believe can help brands rethink how they approach supply chain costs, responsiveness, and risk mitigation.

1. Reframe How You Think About FOB and Invoices to Unlock Tariff Savings

One of the most immediately actionable takeaways from Ashley’s insights came down to the invoice itself—specifically, how you’re being billed under FOB (Free On Board) terms. Ashley emphasized the importance of breaking down line items in your documentation and understanding exactly what’s bundled into the total cost you're seeing from suppliers.

Why does this matter? Because many companies are unknowingly overpaying tariffs on items that shouldn't even be subject to them.

For example, she explained how things like mold fees, design costs, or R&D-related expenses often get lumped into the overall cost of goods sold (COGS) on a single invoice line. This is problematic because tariffs are typically assessed on material costs—meaning you may be paying duties on costs that, with the right documentation, could be excluded.

The actionable tip here: Request itemized invoices. Work with your factory partners to break out non-material costs, things like design fees, mold costs, or other service-related expenses—into separate lines. Even better, ask for these on separate invoices altogether if possible.

In Ashley’s experience, companies who take this step often discover real, material savings. This is one of those areas where finance teams, supply chain leads, and even accounting can collaborate to reduce landed costs without changing the product or supplier.

Key questions to ask your team:

• Have we reviewed our supplier invoices for line item clarity?
• Are we potentially paying duties on costs that could be reclassified?
• Can we work with our factories to restructure invoices for better tariff efficiency?

Click below to get access to the full recording of the session:

2. “Fast Boats” Are Changing the Speed-Cost Tradeoff

Traditionally, supply chain logistics has been a simple equation: if you want inventory quickly, you pay a premium for air freight. If you want to save on cost, you ship by sea—but you accept long lead times, often 60–90 days from China to the U.S.

What I didn’t know—and what Ashley introduced—is that this binary is starting to shift.

Enter: fast boats. Yes, that’s the technical term (okay, not really, but it's what we’re calling them now). These newer maritime routes and shipping solutions can now get goods from China to the U.S. West Coast in a fraction of the time traditional freight used to take, often cutting weeks off the delivery timeline.

While still slower than air freight, these faster shipping options offer a powerful middle ground: a substantial cost savings compared to air, while still helping brands keep inventory closer to demand.

From a finance and operations perspective, this is a game-changer. Inventory in transit is capital tied up. It’s risk. It’s cash that could be used elsewhere. Shrinking the time between production and sell-through can unlock cash flow and allow your team to respond more quickly to market demand.

For brands caught between bloated lead times and high air costs, this is worth exploring—especially heading into unpredictable holiday seasons or when navigating global supply shocks.

Key questions to ask your team:

• Are we still defaulting to outdated assumptions about freight speed vs. cost?
• Have we investigated newer shipping options that could reduce transit time?
• How much capital could we free up by shrinking inventory in transit?
  
  

3. Responsive Supply Chains Are More Than a Buzzword—They’re a Financial Strategy

The final insight that really stuck with me is about responsiveness, how companies can design their supply chains and production cycles to stay flexible, even under cost and demand pressure.

Ashley talked about an approach where brands import raw materials (fabric, zippers, trims), but delay full production until there’s more clarity on what will actually sell. For example, rather than producing 10,000 units of a particular dress and sitting on inventory, a brand could:

• Bring in the materials
• Post product pages online with photos or digital renders
• Gauge customer demand in real time
• And only then, move into final production based on actual demand data
  
  

This concept, sometimes referred to as "delayed differentiation" or "make-to-order light", isn’t new, but it's often underutilized outside of massive global brands. For smaller or mid-sized DTC businesses, the idea of waiting to manufacture may seem risky. But when done thoughtfully, it can reduce overproduction, improve margin, and ultimately allow finance leaders to better align cost structure with revenue performance.

It also unlocks more strategic forecasting. When you can shift production decisions closer to actual consumer behavior, finance and supply chain teams become more integrated and working together to make smarter, data-informed bets.

Key questions to ask your team:

• Are we producing too far ahead of demand?
• Could we delay final production to test product-market fit?
• What’s the cost (and opportunity) of holding raw materials vs. finished goods?
  
  

Final Thoughts

What I loved most about this conversation with Ashley is how tactical it was. In a world where tariff policies, geopolitical risk, and cost pressures can feel overwhelming, she offered concrete steps that brands can take right now with no massive system overhaul required.

If you're a CFO, controller, supply chain lead, or operations manager, my advice is this: get close to your invoices, your freight strategy, and your production flexibility. There are cost savings and strategic advantages hiding in places we often overlook.

Thanks again to everyone who joined the session—and a huge thank you to Ashley for generously sharing her time and insight. Stay tuned for more conversations like this one, and as always, if your team is looking for cleaner financial data to help drive these decisions, Blue Onion is here to help.

Download the on-demand recording of the session: