Why Wipfli?
Wipfli’s team includes former automotive professionals who bring firsthand experience in your industry challenges and complexities.
We take a data-based approach, applying robust benchmarking data and market intelligence to help you better understand your business’s current state and future potential. And rather than using generic strategies, we work to understand your operations and processes to deliver practical, tailored solutions.
We also know you need more than local insight in today’s global environment. Wipfli pairs strong regional presence and national resources with global capabilities to support domestic activities along with cross-border operations and international growth.
We’re ready to help you transform with end-to-end solutions across the automotive value chain.
Wipfli’s tax team can help you adapt to policy changes and tax law updates as they unfold. We keep you informed while helping you navigate complex tax compliance and credits and incentives so that you can maximize your tax planning.
Focus on growing revenue while we focus on your back-office challenges. Wipfli’s outsourcing for automotive manufacturers provides you with knowledgeable, industry-experienced talent for your finance, HR, IT and operations functions.
Wipfli can help you drive transformation across your operations and people. Our strategy and operations support helps you improve processes for manufacturing efficiency, adopt new tech, manage change, enhance sales processes and create an agile strategy. We also offer leadership development so that you can improve leadership readiness and increase retention and engagement at all levels of your business.
Get comprehensive automotive manufacturing technology services that bring clarity to your complex IT challenges. We can support you at any stage of your digital journey, from building a technology roadmap to implementing enterprise solutions and AI. We can also help you leverage your data with production monitoring and business intelligence while keeping operations secure with comprehensive cybersecurity services.
Wipfli’s transaction advisory team helps you close deals with confidence, offering experienced valuation, due diligence and tax support. Whether you’re buying, selling or exploring transition options, Wipfli can help you maximize the value of your transaction.
Establish a resilient, cost-efficient global footprint. Wipfli can help you seize global opportunities through tailored outbound and cross-border solutions, covering tax strategy, compliance, supply chain services and entity structuring.
Build trust and gain clarity with audit and accounting services that go beyond reporting. Wipfli leverages our industry experience to deliver insights that help you strengthen operations, mitigate risk and make smarter business decisions.
Wipfli’s private client services help automotive business owners and executives protect assets, plan succession and optimize tax strategies for multigenerational wealth. We help you connect business and personal goals with support, including business transition and estate and gift planning.
Protect your production, brand and bottom line with Wipfli’s risk advisory team. We help you stay ahead of regulatory, technology and operational risks with integrated services spanning compliance, enterprise risk management and fraud investigation and litigation support.
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Let's talk about how our experienced automotive industry advisors can make your business more resilient and profitable. Ask us for help strengthening your performance, claiming tax incentives and navigating tariffs, bolstering your supply chain, managing risk and more.
Insights and resources
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9 top tariff mitigation strategies for manufacturing CFOs | Wipfli
For many manufacturers, the Trump administration’s tariff policies have created new costs and supply chain complications. Active tariffs under Section 232, Section 301 and Section 338 are raising the cost of many imports by 10-50% . How should your business adapt to succeed in this environment? Keep reading to learn key tariff mitigation strategies that CFOs and COOs can use to protect profitability even in the face of tariff pressures. 9 top tariff mitigation strategies manufacturers should know While there is no silver bullet, manufacturing CFOs and COOs do have options to offset tariff costs. If you understand your tariff exposure and supply chain, you can consider mitigation strategies like alternative sourcing, pricing pass-throughs, optimized inventory management, operational efficiency improvements and tax incentives. Deploying a combination of these strategies will help protect your overall profitability even after accounting for tariff expenses: 1. Map your supply chain Start by mapping out your current supply chain. Identify the sources of your raw materials, components and finished goods, while also reviewing HTS codes for all imports. Understanding where your products originate will help you evaluate potential tariff impacts. 2. Diversify your supplier base Based on your supply chain mapping, consider if you could reduce tariff exposure by diversifying your materials suppliers. Nearly all U.S. trading partners remain covered by tariffs, but not all countries are subject to the same tariff rate. Section 301 tariffs, for example, range from 10% to 12.5% depending on the country. In this example, switching from a supplier tariffed at 12.5% to one tariffed at 10% would reduce your tariff payments by 20%. 3. Evaluate domestic or near-shore sourcing In certain cases, tariff costs may mean that domestic sourcing is now a more viable option. Materials or goods sourced domestically aren’t tariffed, so you may be able to find more competitive pricing than in years past. Companies that have moved production overseas may also want to explore whether reshoring could make sense, although this approach typically only works when combined with heavy automation to offset high domestic labor costs. 4. Reassess your costing and quoting strategies For much of 2025, manufacturers simply ate tariff costs rather than risk angering consumers by passing those costs along. But that’s not a viable long-term solution. If you haven’t yet, explore changing your prices to reflect your higher costs, as well as how to implement those increases over time to soften the impact on consumers. 5. Optimize inventory and purchasing strategies Adopting a more agile, flexible approach to inventory management can help you avoid unnecessary costs. Taking this approach involves understanding exactly what your customers want, focusing on jobs that boost profitability (typically those that are either high volume or high value) and exploring more flexible contracts with suppliers to avoid over-purchasing materials you don’t need. 6. Review your supplier and customer agreements Tariffs are affecting both your suppliers and businesses that buy your products. You may be stuck with your existing contracts, but when negotiating a new one, explore how you can share the burden of tariff costs rather than leaving your business to eat most of them on its own. 7. Improve operational efficiency Improving operational efficiency can lower operating costs or increase production to offset tariff expenses. Manufacturers are increasingly leaning on technology like AI to deliver operational gains, with packaging automation, machine monitoring systems and process control technologies all delivering notable ROI in this area. This does involve making a meaningful upfront investment. However, certain tax incentives can notably lower that burden. 8. Use tax incentives to offset tariff costs A smart tax strategy can help significantly offset your overall tariff burden. CFOs should dig into the details on how to handle accounting for tariffs from a tax perspective , as well as consider how specific manufacturing tax incentives could reduce your non-tariff tax exposure or help cover the cost of investments in efficiency, molds, dies and automation. Key tax incentives to explore include: Bonus depreciation and qualified production property to immediately deduct the full cost of certain qualified real property investments. Section 179D expensing to deduct the cost of certain energy efficiency facility upgrades. R&D tax benefits to deduct or receive tax credits for research, experimentation and development costs. Tariffs can also increase your credit eligibility here. 9. Pursue tariff refunds when applicable In early 2026, the Supreme Court overturned the administration’s IEEPA tariffs and ordered that roughly $166 billion in tariff collections be refunded. If your business paid IEEPA tariffs, you may be eligible to have that money returned . The process can be complex, but if you were burdened by significant IEEPA tariff costs, you stand to gain a significant reimbursement. Why tariff management matters for manufacturers today Manufacturers face a host of pressures on profitability, including high costs for raw materials and labor, competition from emerging markets, economic uncertainty and a technological revolution that is shaking up traditional business models. Tariffs only add to that pressure, which makes managing them essential to surviving (and thriving) in today’s business environment. This is doubly the case because tariff policy continues to be volatile, which means you’ll get burned if you don’t have a process in place to help you adapt to those policy shifts. Also consider that successful tariff management means learning to run your business more efficiently and effectively. By acting now, you’re investing in long-term performance gains that will stick around even if the current tariffs are eventually phased out. In other words, implementing an effective tariff management strategy will bolster your profit margins both now and in the future. How tariff mitigation helps CFOs improve profit margins No single tariff mitigation strategy will likely offset all your tariff costs. However, by employing a combination of supply chain adjustments, efficiencies, tax incentives and pricing pass-throughs, you can significantly reduce the hit to your profit margins. Consider that tariff mitigation strategies help you to: Counterbalance tariff costs by finding new cost savings or opportunities to do more profitable jobs. Operate more efficiently, with tariffs serving as the necessary push to adopt automation or more efficient processes. Better understand your supply chain and customers so you can adapt to meet today’s business demands. Avoid wasting valuable tax opportunities by claiming deductions or credits you may already be entitled to, or that apply to necessary expenses. Protect your margins by helping negate rising costs in areas like healthcare, labor and materials to set you up for a strong balance sheet five years from now. Tariffs are frustrating. But they are also an opportunity to rethink your business and make structural changes to put it on more solid, sustainable ground. Read more Tariff update: New Section 301 tariffs, Section 232 and more Tariff refunds for manufacturers: What to do next How do tariffs affect taxes for manufacturing businesses?
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Cybersecurity in manufacturing: Strategies to mitigate risk
Cybersecurity in manufacturing: Learn about the threats facing the industry and the defense actions your business should take.
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The impact of Canada retaliatory tariffs on U.S. manufacturing | Wipfli
Learn how the new Canada retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports could impact supply chains and costs for your manufacturing business, and how you can respond.
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