This Planet Money Indicator podcast episode discusses "tariff engineering," the methods companies use to circumvent tariffs. The hosts and guests explore three main approaches: adjusting product components to lower tariff rates (tariff engineering), changing the declared country of origin (product engineering), and manipulating the declared product value (valuation engineering). While acknowledging the complexities and potential legal pitfalls, the discussion highlights how these strategies, while initially employed to reduce costs, can also lead to a more thorough examination of supply chains, potentially uncovering issues like forced labor and ultimately improving business practices. The episode concludes with a lighthearted debate about the most important part of a blender.
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