How Tariffs Impact Ecommerce Profits and Why 3PLs Are the Solution

In 2025, ecommerce businesses face a daunting challenge: new tariffs are squeezing profit margins tighter than ever. Whether you’re importing goods from overseas or navigating rising shipping costs, tariffs impact ecommerce in ways that demand smarter strategies. Fortunately, Third-Party Logistics (3PL) providers offer a lifeline. By leveraging their expertise in fulfillment services and supply chain management, businesses can stay competitive. Let’s explore how tariffs impact ecommerce, why margins are at risk, and how outsourcing to a 3PL can help you thrive.

Tariffs, essentially taxes on imported goods, have been a hot topic since the U.S.-China trade war began adding billions in costs—$80 billion since 2018, according to the USTR. In 2025, with potential tariff hikes looming (think 10-20% on Chinese goods), ecommerce companies feel the pinch. For instance, higher costs for inventory mean slimmer profits unless prices rise—which risks losing price-sensitive customers. Meanwhile, shipping and delivery expenses climb as fuel surcharges and carrier fees reflect tariff-driven inflation. Tariffs impact ecommerce not just at the product level but across the entire supply chain.
However, the story doesn’t end there. Businesses relying on international shipping and import/export face delays at customs, while last-mile delivery costs soar—often accounting for over 50% of total delivery expenses, per 2024 Pitney Bowes data. Without a plan, these pressures erode profitability fast. So, what’s the solution?

Practical Cost-Saving Strategies with 3PLs

Beyond location, 3PLs bring value-added services (VAS) like kitting and assembly or packaging optimization. These boost order value and cut waste, helping you maintain margins without raising prices. Additionally, inventory management becomes a breeze with 3PL technology solutions—think inventory tracking software and order fulfillment metrics and reporting. By forecasting demand and using inventory cycle counts, you avoid overstocking costly tariffed goods.
For multi-channel fulfillment, 3PLs integrate seamlessly with platforms like Shopify, ensuring order accuracy and quality control across sales channels. Meanwhile, services like reverse logistics and Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) processing keep returns efficient, preserving customer trust. In short, a 3PL turns tariff challenges into opportunities by optimizing every step from order fulfillment solutions to transportation management systems (TMS).

Although managing fulfillment in-house might feel like control, tariffs expose its limits. Rising costs for freight forwarding, outbound and inbound logistics, and even same-day and next-day delivery strain small teams. On the other hand, a 3PL’s expertise in ecommerce fulfillment and freight consolidation spreads those costs across their network, delivering savings you can’t replicate alone. Plus, with 3PLs handling order tracking and management, you focus on growth—not logistics.
Consider this: as tariffs impact ecommerce, profit margins shrink unless you adapt. A 3PL partnership might just be the edge you need to keep prices competitive and customers happy. It’s not about handing over control; it’s about leveraging pros who’ve mastered fulfillment cost analysis and supply chain management. At Falcon, we’ve seen clients cut shipping costs by 15% through strategic warehousing—proof that outsourcing works.