At Domaine, we work with 7- and 8-figure brands navigating complex fulfillment, pricing, and campaign strategies on Shopify. We’re seeing firsthand how industry leaders are responding to tariff volatility, and which strategies have the potential to protect both margin and customer loyalty.
What’s Changed and Why It Matters
Two major policy changes are creating urgency for brands:
- Higher Section 301 import tariffs on Chinese goods, affecting raw materials, packaging, and finished goods.
- The elimination of the $800 de minimis exemption, which now subjects more shipments to duties and border delays.
The impact?
Rising landed costs. Tighter margins. Slower logistics. And greater pressure to communicate price changes with clarity and care.
We are working closely with brands to help them pivot where possible to preserve margin while maintaining customer trust.
How the Brands We Work With Are Staying Ahead
Rebuilding the Supply Chain
Brands are actively looking to diversify sourcing to reduce exposure to Chinese tariffs, such as manufacturing to Mexico, Vietnam, or U.S.-based partners. Others are using bonded warehouses or importing in bulk to defer or dilute tariffs without disrupting fulfillment.
Pricing With Precision
A/B testing is key. It’s helping brands pinpoint which SKUs can absorb increased costs without compromising conversion. Some are bundling to offset tariffs, while others are surfacing a “Tariff Fee” line item at checkout. We’ve built a custom Shopify checkout integration to make this easy and customer-friendly, positioning the fee as transparent, not punitive.
Messaging That Builds Trust
Pricing changes aren’t being hidden, they’re being explained. We’re helping brands send proactive price-change emails ahead of tariff hikes, and repositioning “Made in USA” SKUs as premium offerings worth the investment. It’s about reinforcing value, not justifying cost.
Domaine’s Custom Tariff Solution for Checkout
In response to changing tariffs, we’ve created a custom Shopify solution for our brands to manage tariff fees programmatically at checkout. This solution is for brands looking to add a tariff fee into the cart during checkout, which can be calculated as either a fixed fee per line item or a percentage-based fee on the cart subtotal.
Existing Shopify Features That Can Help
Shopify has built-in tools to help brands on their platform respond to tariff changes. These include:
- Duties & Import Taxes Calculator to show accurate costs at checkout
- Duty-Inclusive Pricing to absorb tariffs into the product price and reduce sticker shock
- Preferential Trade Agreement Support to auto-apply benefits like USMCA
- Managed Markets for automated DDP labels and fulfillment options for simpler international fulfilment
