How Tariffs Are Changing Packaging Design

This week on The Packaging Today Show, we’re tackling a seismic shift in the CPG world: skyrocketing metal‑packaging prices driven by U.S. tariffs — and how brands are scrambling to re‑engineer their grocery‑aisle packaging from steel and aluminum cans to stand‑up pouches, paper cartons, and other alternatives.We’ll dig into:How the doubling of tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50% has forced metal‑packaging costs to spike in the U.S. by as much as 10–15%. Why can manufacturers and food brands are now eyeing materials like aseptic cartons, foil pouches, and flexible plastics — not just for sustainability, but for cost containment. The hidden downstream effects for packaging: retooling machinery, changing supply chains, and redesigning pack formats (which often means higher initial CAPEX).What this downtime actually means for packaging designers, engineers, and brand buyers — from format performance trade‑offs to consumer perception and shelf impact.Whether this shift is purely reactive to tariffs or genuinely heralding a longer‑term structural change in packaging material use.Tips for managing this transition: how to assess material alternatives, align packaging strategy with cost curves, and design for both brand and unit‑economics in this new era.If you’re in the packaging game — or advising brands facing packaging upheaval — this episode gives you a frontline seat to the change happening now. Subscribe, comment with your questions, and come ready to rethink what happens inside the grocery aisle.Work with guys:Evelio - https://www.IDPdirect.comCory - https://www.atlanticpkg.comAdam - http://www.TheLabelKing.comSupport those that support our show:Manage your packaging specs with www.specright.com Learn more about water soluble papers from www.Smartsolve.com