2026 Manufacturing Trends: Tariffs, China+1, Repairability, AI & ‘Smart’ Factories

In this pre-Christmas episode 307, Adrian and Renaud look ahead to five manufacturing trends that could shape 2026 for importers working with China and Asia.  Thanks for listening during 2025. We appreciate all of our listeners and followers, and, if you like what we do, please consider giving us a 5-star rating on your podcast player! See you in 2026! Topics covered are: Tariff volatility in the Trump era What comes after “China+1” The growing focus on repairability, modularity and sustainable design The AI/data center boom Where is all the ‘smart manufacturing’ we keep seeing in the press?   Episode Sections: 00:00 – Introduction 03:16 – Trend #1: Tariff volatility in the Trump era 12:14 – Trend #2: Where is ‘China+1’ really going? 19:36 – Trend #3: Sustainability, repairability & modular design 24:10 – Trend #4: AI/data centers and component price shocks 27:49 – Trend #5: Smart manufacturing: hype vs. factory floor reality 31:40 – Wrap-up, Merry Christmas & call for questions   Related content... Breaking Down the US-China Trade Tariffs: What’s in Effect Now? US to allow Nvidia H200 chip shipments to China, Trump says Global trade to hit record $35 trillion despite slowing momentum The AI frenzy is driving a memory chip supply crisis RAM is ruining everything 2026 Manufacturing Industry Outlook Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation Get in touch with us Connect with us on LinkedIn Contact us via Sofeast's contact page Subscribe to our YouTube channel Prefer Facebook? Check us out on FB