On-Shoring Advantage: Why Tariffs, Ohio’s Manufacturing Strength, and Aerosport Additive Make a Powerful Combination

Spring 2025 has become a watershed moment for American supply chains. A new series of “reciprocal” duties now applies a baseline 10 percent tariff to all imported goods, with rates rising to 50 percent for dozens of countries—and specialty measures heap 25 percent on steel, aluminum, automobiles, and key components.

These levies are already reshaping where products are made. Auto makers, for example, are scouting U.S. floor space to dodge 25 percent surcharges on imported parts, an urgency that led several global brands to inquire about capacity at Lucid’s new Arizona plant. Smaller manufacturers across sectors are feeling the same squeeze.

With tariffs touching nearly every trade lane—and as high as 145 percent on some Chinese categories—sourcing “elsewhere in Asia” is no longer a workaround. The safest hedge is to shorten the supply chain altogether. Additive manufacturing accelerates that transition: no overseas tooling, drastically lower minimum-order quantities, and digital workflows that let engineers iterate overnight instead of waiting weeks for molds to cross an ocean.

Nowhere is this pivot easier than Ohio. The Buckeye State ranks fourth nationally in manufacturing GDP, supports more than 680 000 factory jobs, and sits within a single-day truck haul of 60 percent of the U.S. market. At the heart of that web is Columbus—home to Foreign-Trade Zone 138 and the Rickenbacker Inland Port, a multimodal freight hub with rail, road, and dedicated cargo-jet links that speed parts to customers on the coasts overnight (source: ohiomfg.comcea.esflycolumbus.com).

Meet Aerosport Additive—Ohio’s Gateway to Digital Production

Less than twenty minutes from Rickenbacker, in Canal Winchester, Aerosport Additive offers one of the Midwest’s most comprehensive suites of industrial 3D-printing and post-processing technologies. From high-resolution stereolithography (SLA) and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) nylon to flight-ready Ultem™ parts on FDM systems—and backed by urethane casting, precision CNC finishing, paint, and texture—the facility bridges the gap between prototype and production without the capital drag of hard tooling.

Founded in 1996 and housed since 2007 in a custom-designed, 12,000 sq-ft facility, Aerosport Additive has spent nearly three decades refining its craft and investing in the latest digital-manufacturing technologies. That longevity is backed by a rigorous ISO 9001:2015 quality-management system, giving customers documented process control, full lot traceability, and the confidence that every prototype or production run meets repeatable, aerospace-grade standards.

Industry-Specific Edge Cases

For decades, Aerosport Additive has been a manufacturing partner for companies across a variety of industries, producing a number of parts. Examples are:

• Medical: Produce biocompatible housings, fixtures, and surgical guides in ISO-class materials that speed FDA submissions.
• Aerospace / Defense / Tactical: Replace machined aluminum brackets with lightweight MJF PA 12 or Carbon-filled nylon components that pass FAR 25.853 flammability and sustain temperatures to 180 °C.
• Automotive: Shift small-volume service parts from overseas die-casting to additive polymer or metal—cutting tariff exposure and eliminating obsolete inventory.
• Industrial & Consumer Products: Launch custom end-use housings, jigs, or ergonomic handles in days, not months.
• Entertainment: Rapidly fabricate highly detailed props, set pieces, or stunt-ready elastomer parts for film and gaming.

A Consultative Playbook for Reshoring

Aerosport’s engineers start with an assessment of your potential project, looking for components or materials that are now carrying double-digit duties. Our consultative process ensures clear communication with your product team during this phase, making sure that all part needs are handled in full, from the start of the project.

Next comes analysis of your part design regarding manufacturing via additive manufacturing, where geometry is optimized for weight, strength, and print efficiency. We also look for opportunities to consolidate multi-piece assemblies into a single printable unit—eliminating fasteners, reducing leak paths, and streamlining downstream labor—so the part emerges production-ready straight off the build plate.

Pilot lots can ship in as little as 48 hours for functional validation; once approved, production scales across the company’s fleet with full lot traceability. For programs that still require molded volumes, Aerosport handles the transition: printing bridge tooling, arranging domestic injection partnerships, and leveraging Columbus’ FTZ status to defer or reduce duties on imported raw stock (source: flycolumbus.com).

Why Ohio—and Why Now

Beyond tariff relief, relocating production to central Ohio slashes lead-times and freight miles, lowers carbon output, and taps a workforce steeped in advanced manufacturing.

JobsOhio and local universities funnel talent, grants, and R&D incentives to firms investing in the region—one reason semiconductor fabs, EV-battery plants, and defense drone makers have broken ground here since 2022 (Source: axios.com).

Reach out – we’re here to help you

Global trade rules may keep shifting, but one constant is Aerosport Additive’s personal, consultative approach (see our case study highlighting this approach). Our team of application engineers and logistics specialists works side-by-side with you—onsite or virtually—to de-risk the move from offshore suppliers to a resilient, U.S.-based workflow.

Whether you’re ready for a single benchmark part or an enterprise-wide reshoring initiative, we’ll guide every step with clear cost modeling, transparent lead-times, and the responsive Midwestern service that has defined Ohio manufacturing for more than a century.

Ready to future-proof your supply chain? Contact Aerosport Additive today via one of the following methods:

• Submit a file for quoting via our paperless quoting system. It’s an easy process with a fast turnaround time. We will contact you with any clarifying questions.
• Call Aerosport Additive at 614-834-5227 to talk with us about your product
• Email us at [email protected] – we can start a conversation today

It’s easy and quick to discover how fast you can start manufacturing your product by 3D printing and additive manufacturing in Ohio. Let’s build the next generation of products—locally, flexibly, and tariff-free.