Tariffs and trade barriers
190 of 521 companies added a paragraph in Risk Factors that uses one of these words:
tariff, tariffs, trade war, import duties, customs duties, export controls.
The paragraph is in the latest 10-K and nothing like it was in the one before.
It counts text; it does not say how serious a risk is. Words in capitals only (such as AI) must be in capitals.
By sector
Sector is the SEC's industry description of the company. Each count opens that sector's quotes below.
| Sector | Companies | Compared |
|---|---|---|
| Arrangement of Transportation of Freight & Cargo | 2 | 2 |
| Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware | 2 | 2 |
| Instruments For Meas & Testing of Electricity & Elec Signals | 2 | 2 |
| Optical Instruments & Lenses | 2 | 2 |
| Aircraft | 1 | 1 |
| Aircraft & Parts | 1 | 1 |
| Apparel & Other Finishd Prods of Fabrics & Similar Matl | 1 | 1 |
| Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies | 1 | 1 |
| Communications Equipment, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Communications Services, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Electromedical & Electrotherapeutic Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Engines & Turbines | 1 | 1 |
| Farm Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Gas & Other Services Combined | 1 | 1 |
| General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Grain Mill Products | 1 | 1 |
| Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors | 1 | 1 |
| Leather & Leather Products | 1 | 1 |
| Meat Packing Plants | 1 | 1 |
| Metal Mining | 1 | 1 |
| Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products | 1 | 1 |
| Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 1 |
| Ophthalmic Goods | 1 | 1 |
| Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) | 1 | 1 |
| Paper Mills | 1 | 1 |
| Poultry Slaughtering and Processing | 1 | 1 |
| Radiotelephone Communications | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Eating & Drinking Places | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores | 1 | 1 |
| Retail-Radio, Tv & Consumer Electronics Stores | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management | 1 | 1 |
| Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Special Industry Machinery, NEC | 1 | 1 |
| Telephone & Telegraph Apparatus | 1 | 1 |
| Television Broadcasting Stations | 1 | 1 |
| Wholesale-Motor Vehicle Supplies & New Parts | 1 | 1 |
| Biological Products, (No Diagnostic Substances) | 4 | 5 |
| Laboratory Analytical Instruments | 4 | 5 |
| Semiconductors & Related Devices | 11 | 15 |
| Computer & office Equipment | 2 | 3 |
| Computer Communications Equipment | 2 | 3 |
| Electronic Computers | 2 | 3 |
| Measuring & Controlling Devices, NEC | 2 | 3 |
| Natural Gas Transmission | 2 | 3 |
| Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers | 2 | 3 |
| Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies | 2 | 3 |
| Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries | 2 | 3 |
| Pharmaceutical Preparations | 7 | 11 |
| Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, and Control | 3 | 5 |
| Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies | 3 | 5 |
| Finance Services | 15 | 28 |
| Services-Business Services, NEC | 8 | 16 |
| Motor Vehicles & Passenger Car Bodies | 2 | 4 |
| Retail-Eating Places | 2 | 4 |
| Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys | 2 | 4 |
| Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services | 2 | 4 |
| Agricultural Chemicals | 1 | 2 |
| Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts | 1 | 2 |
| Fats & Oils | 1 | 2 |
| Industrial Organic Chemicals | 1 | 2 |
| Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments | 1 | 2 |
| Paperboard Containers & Boxes | 1 | 2 |
| Printed Circuit Boards | 1 | 2 |
| Rubber & Plastics Footwear | 1 | 2 |
| Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, NEC | 1 | 2 |
| Services-Medical Laboratories | 1 | 2 |
| Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings | 1 | 2 |
| Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) | 1 | 2 |
| Trucking (No Local) | 1 | 2 |
| Beverages | 2 | 5 |
| Computer Storage Devices | 2 | 5 |
| Retail-Variety Stores | 2 | 5 |
| Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. | 2 | 5 |
| Investment Advice | 3 | 8 |
| National Commercial Banks | 4 | 11 |
| Electric Services | 5 | 15 |
| Electric & Other Services Combined | 4 | 12 |
| Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip | 1 | 3 |
| Electrical Work | 1 | 3 |
| General Industrial Machinery & Equipment | 1 | 3 |
| Life Insurance | 1 | 3 |
| Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations | 1 | 3 |
| Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research | 1 | 3 |
| Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design | 1 | 3 |
| Surgical & Medical Instruments & Apparatus | 3 | 10 |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts | 8 | 27 |
| Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas | 2 | 7 |
| Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance | 3 | 12 |
| Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) | 1 | 4 |
| Services-Prepackaged Software | 4 | 19 |
| Petroleum Refining | 1 | 6 |
| State Commercial Banks | 1 | 6 |
| Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies | 1 | 7 |
454 paragraphs · Computer Communications Equipment show all sectors
•enhanced import/export restrictions, such as enhanced export controls the U.S. has adopted targeting trade with China, as well as countermeasures taken by affected countries may negatively affect our business;
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
Our products are primarily manufactured in Malaysia, Vietnam, and Mexico, and we also procure a limited number of products originating from China, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines. In addition, our contract manufacturing partners procure some components from China for use in the manufacturing of our products. Because our products are primarily manufactured internationally, the import of our products into the U.S. may be affected by applicable tariff policies.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
Over the last decade, and especially under the current administration, the U.S. government has enacted various new and increased tariffs affecting the import of various items from various countries. For example, since 2018, the U.S. government has enacted various tariffs on products from China under Section 301 trade authorities, including on communications equipment products and components manufactured and imported from China. Since February 2025, the U.S. has also imposed additional country-specific tariffs on most trading partners, including China, as well as additional commodity-specific tariffs on certain imported items, in both instances pursuant to executive orders issued under various trade authorities, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
In response to these and other U.S. measures, China, Mexico and other countries have taken or threatened to take a range of retaliatory measures. These include the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S.-origin goods; the implementation of new export controls by China on various critical minerals, including rare earths metals; the scheduling of further retaliatory tariff measures; and other actions that may affect us directly or indirectly.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
The situation regarding these tariffs and trade policies has been and continues to be fluid, leading to significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S., and other countries, with respect to tariffs and trade policies.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
The U.S., China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines and other governments may place additional tariffs and trade barriers on communication equipment products, our products and services, our inputs, or other items, which could result in higher costs to us and negatively affect our gross margins.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
An increase in trade-related costs associated with these tariff actions may affect our cost of production, impair the profitability of our international production, affect our ability to procure certain items, strain our suppliers’ ability to provide
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
New and changing laws, regulations, executive orders, directives, and enforcement priorities can adversely affect the Company’s business by increasing the Company’s costs, limiting the Company’s ability to continuously navigate global supply chain options in lieu of optimizing tariff outcomes, offer a product or service to customers in a timely manner, impacting customer demand for the Company’s products and services, and requiring changes to the Company’s business or supply chain. New and changing laws, regulations, executive orders, directives, and enforcement priorities can also create uncertainty about how such laws and regulations will be interpreted and applied.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
including germanium and gallium. These Chinese export controls have been the subject of bilateral trade negotiations between the U.S. and China and have been partially relaxed since May 2025, though further changes are possible. Further, the Chinese government has responded to U.S. actions by adding U.S. entities to an unreliable entity list, which limits the ability of companies on the list to engage in business with Chinese customers. These restrictions could disrupt the ability of China to procure or produce semiconductors and other electronics and impact our ability to source components from China and could impact the cost of components or inputs used to produce our products.
Read in the 10-K filed Feb 17, 2026 ↗
•International tensions (including China-Taiwan relations), U.S. foreign relations impacting customer willingness to buy U.S. products or our ability to procure components, trade protection measures such as tariffs, and government disruptions or shutdowns
Read in the 10-K filed Sep 2, 2026 ↗