Navigating the New Import Tariffs: Why Profit Tracking is More Critical Than Ever for Print-on-Demand Sellers

Print-on-demand sellers are facing a new challenge: import tariffs that will increase product costs and reduce profit margins. Printify has announced these important changes that will affect how much money you make from your store.

Understanding the New Import Tariff Updates

Printify has recently announced important updates regarding import tariffs that will affect merchants using their platform. These changes stem from adjustments in international trade policies and will impact pricing for certain products in their catalog.

The new tariffs primarily affect products manufactured in specific countries and imported to fulfillment locations. This includes popular print-on-demand items such as apparel, accessories, and home decor products that many merchants rely on for their businesses.

How These Tariffs Will Impact Your Printify Store

According to Printify’s communications, the recent import tariff updates may result in price adjustments across various product categories. While no price increases have been implemented yet, Printify is monitoring the situation closely and working with partners to minimize disruption.

Here’s what to watch for:

• Possible increases in base costs for affected products

• Shifts in profit margins on current listings

• A potential need to revisit your retail pricing strategy

• Varying impacts based on product categories and manufacturing locations

These changes suggest that products previously profitable might now require closer margin reviews and possible repricing to stay on track with your business goals.

Why Profit Tracking is More Important Than Ever

With costs changing and new import rules, tracking your profits isn't just a good idea anymore—it's absolutely necessary. You can't just set your prices once and forget about them. You need to keep a close eye on your margins and adjust prices when costs change.

Without good profit tracking, you might accidentally sell products that make no money or even lose money after these new tariffs. This can slowly drain your business without you noticing. Using a profit tracking tool helps protect your business now and makes it easier to adapt when costs change again in the future.

How ProfitTree Can Help You Navigate These Changes

Our platform is an automated profit tracking solution built specifically for Etsy sellers running print-on-demand or handmade businesses.

It’s the first and only tool that lets you track profits in real-time and optimize Etsy ads based on real data—not assumptions.

Here’s how it helps POD sellers navigate cost changes like these:

COGS Management: Know Your Real Costs

COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) includes all the production costs behind every product—base price, shipping, materials, etc.

• Selling a POD mug? That includes the blank, the print fee, and shipping.

• Selling a hoodie? Think base cost + ink + fulfillment.

With tariffs now increasing those costs in the background, tracking them is more important than ever.

We help you manage your COGS so you know exactly how much profit you’re making on each listing. No guesswork, no spreadsheets—just clarity. And before you start spending money on ads, it tells you whether there’s actually any margin left to spend.

Etsy Ads Optimization: Smarter Spending with TACoS

When costs rise, ads can quickly go from helpful to harmful. We make ad spend more transparent using TACoS (Total Advertising Cost of Sale)—a smarter metric than Etsy’s ROAS.

• ROAS only shows return from a specific ad click

• TACoS looks at all revenue that came from that click—even if the buyer purchased something else

Why does this matter?

Let’s say someone clicks on an ad for your mug but ends up buying a t-shirt instead. ROAS might make the ad look unprofitable—TACoS shows the real result.

With ProfitTree, you can:

• Track your TACoS to keep ad cost percentage healthy (typically >12% for POD sellers)

• Identify underperforming listings and turn off ads that are eating your margins

• Focus your budget on listings that meet your profit targets

Tariffs are raising costs and we help you adjust your ads so you’re not throwing money at listings that are no longer worth it.

Visualize the Impact Inside Your ProfitTree Dashboard

Want to see exactly how these cost changes are affecting your profits?

Inside your ProfitTree account, head over to the Product Report tab. This is where the magic happens:

📊 See product-level profitability in real time—including COGS, fees, ad spend, and net profit

🔍 Spot underperforming products with high spend and low margins

📈 Sort by true profit to find your real money-makers—not just your bestsellers

This dashboard gives you the clarity you need to decide what to scale, what to pause, and where to optimize—especially in times of rising costs.

▶️ For a quick walkthrough, check out this video: Watch on Instagram

Steps to Take Now

Here's what you should do about these tariff changes:

1. Read Printify's announcements to see which of your products are affected

2. Use ProfitTree to calculate exactly how much these changes impact your profits

3. Make a plan to update prices on affected products

4. Think about adding products from countries that aren't affected by these tariffs

5. Keep monitoring your profits to catch any future changes

Conclusion

These tariff changes make running your print-on-demand business harder, but they show why tracking your profits is so important. With the right tools, you can handle these changes and keep your business profitable.

We help sellers see and understand their numbers, even when costs are changing. Our profit tracking tools make sure you always know if you're making money.

Remember: you can't improve what you don't measure. Now more than ever, knowing your numbers is the key to success

Want a clearer picture of your real profits, especially with all these new cost changes? We’ve got you. Grab an exclusive free month of ProfitTree Pro and start tracking your margins in real time.