With tariffs affecting business, Ohio companies are slowly reshoring, meaning they are increasing domestic manufacturing, according to a new report.
Intended to increase domestic manufacturing, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on goods imported to the United States; 10% on imports from most countries and higher for others, such as Mexico, Canada and China, which had the highest tariff rate.
The report by MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network, shows that 9% of Ohio’s manufacturing companies started some reshoring in 2025.
“Those are for companies who say, well, I could add a few more people, I could add another shift,” MAGNET CEO Ethan Karp said. “It’s all great for our economy, don’t get me wrong, but these are incremental improvements and increases, as opposed to the let’s go build something brand new, let’s bring it all back here.”
For reference, Karp said 4% of companies started reshoring in 2021, a big reason being mass supply chain issues.
Most of the reshoring in 2025 were products previously made in China.
The report also shows that 15% of companies surveyed said they increased sales because of the tariffs and 18% lost sales.
“Based on what you’re selling, based on who you’re selling it to, based on your size, there are winners and there are losers,” Karp said. “The winners here are typically larger companies who are able to make things based on what customers ask them to make, build to print. Those that are losing are more often smaller companies who have their own product that they’re selling.”
Of those that lost sales, revenue fell an average of 16%. Of those that increased sales, revenue increased 9% on average.
40% of companies in the report said rising material costs are hindering growth, while 30% of companies said growth is hampered by political uncertainty
“When I talk to companies, it’s not necessarily that the policy changed,” Karp said. “It’s the uncertainty of whether it’s going to change again, which means that a company can’t properly plan, can’t properly invest, because they don’t know, ‘Will a tariff be here in a month?’”
The report surveyed 266 manufacturing leaders in Ohio, mostly CEOs, presidents or owners of companies. The report said respondents spanned every major type of manufacturing in Ohio including metals and machinery, plastics, food and electronics.