Central Florida companies scramble ahead of Chinese tariffs

[Baitball Blogger]

At least three Central Florida companies are warning that 25 percent Chinese tariffs on equipment and parts set to kick in Friday will make it harder for them to do business.

Tompkins Robotics in Orlando, an e-commerce supply chain automation company, estimates it would take 18 months to set up factories in the U.S. to produce the robots they need, and would hinge on getting legal permission from the Chinese manufacturer that jointly holds the patent.

The mechanical robot arm, the infrastructure and components are made by U.S. manufacturers, and Tompkins developed software that ties it all together. The self-driving bots are the only imports they buy directly from China.

“It is a lower price point,” said Jim Serstad, director of product development, but explains there’s more to it. The bots, about 20 pounds each, are small and the system can be easily expanded, he said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/os-bz-tariffs-china-orlando-freight-robots-steel-20180705-story.html

[Thomas Hurt]

1. Too bad, gonna have to embrace the suck til you get rid of the f***.