Dental Laboratories NAICS 339116

Sep 2, 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. Dental laboratories may be negatively impacted because they compete with foreign labs in China, Mexico, and India, which have specialized in offering low-priced partial frames and traditional crowns, especially zirconia-based restorations. 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 is expected to appeal the ruling to the US Supreme Court.
• The spot price of gold increased from about $1,800 per ounce in October 2023 to over $3,300 in early July, an 86% increase. The pricing and availability of raw materials for dental labs can vary and affect operations and profitability. Prices for precious metals that are components of many dental alloys, including gold, platinum, palladium, can be volatile and driven by global market conditions. The spot price surged to a record $3,444.01 per troy ounce on June 15, 2025. "Trump's election win has provided one of the most favorable scenarios for gold due to the likelihood of elevated US fiscal spending and increased geopolitical uncertainty," says Michael Haigh, head of commodities research at French bank Société Générale.

• New networked technology allows dental laboratories to expand their reach directly into dental practices, according to additive manufacturing technology firm Desktop Metal. Networked scanners, for example, allow dentists to scan patients and use the digital data to directly order restoration services from a dental laboratory, or print-ready digital files from laboratories can be sent from a laboratory to the practice, where products can be printed chairside in the dental practice on networked 3D printers. Dentists can order a full range of simple to complex restorations, removables, and appliances including bite guards, crowns, veneers, dentures, and more.
• Dental laboratory industry employment and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased slightly during the first five months of 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Dental lab industry sales are forecast to grow at a 4.5% compounded annual rate from 2025 to 2029, faster than the growth of the overall economy, according to Inforum and the Interindustry Economic Research Fund, Inc.