Communications Equipment Manufacturers NAICS 3342

Sep 4, 2025 - Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Trump Administration Tariffs

• The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has ruled that President Trump overstepped his authority when he declared national emergencies to justify tariffs on many countries. Communications equipment manufacturers are likely to benefit if the cost of goods imported from countries that were hit with tariffs decrease. US law “bestows significant authority on the president to undertake a number of actions in response to a declared national emergency, but none of these actions explicitly include the power to impose tariffs, duties, or the like, or the power to tax”, the court said in the 7-4 ruling. Many of President Trump’s steep tariffs are “unbounded in scope, amount and duration”, the ruling added, and “assert an expansive authority that is beyond the express limitations” of the law his administration has cited. The court said that the ruling would not take effect until October 14. The Trump administration has filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking the justices to quickly intervene to rule that the president has the power to impose such import taxes on foreign nations.
• Private construction spending on data centers has more than doubled what it was in late 2022, according to the US Census Bureau. Companies are investing in data centers to get ahead in artificial intelligence, according to Bloomberg. Communications equipment manufacturers are likely to benefit from increasing data center construction. Private construction spending on data centers has surged close to $30 billion a year.

• The burden of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act (aka the Huawei rip & replace program) has fallen disproportionately on smaller carriers, which relied more on the cheaper gear from the Chinese firms than large companies like AT&T and Verizon, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Some smaller wireless companies now say they may not be able to upgrade their networks and continue serving their communities, where they are often the only internet providers. US Senator Deb Fischer introduced legislation to close the gap in rip-and-replace funding for carriers. Passing it will be challenging, with similar legislation failing twice over the past year. Congress only appropriated $1.9 billion to fund the program but the cost has exceeded $5 billion, according to the FCC.
• Communications equipment manufacturing industry employment increased slightly and average wages for nonsupervisory employees decreased slightly during the first five months of 2025, according to the BLS. Communications equipment manufacturing firms slightly increased their prices during the first half of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Communications equipment manufacturer sales are forecast to grow at a 2.72% compounded annual rate from 2025 to 2029, slower than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.