Sign Manufacturers NAICS 339950

Jun 10, 2025 - Sign Makers Adapt to Tariffs

• Sign companies are finding ways to adjust to shifts in US trade policy, according to Signs of the Times Magazine. Some firms are seeing their margins squeezed as prices for key inputs, including aluminum and acrylic, increase. To protect margins, some sign companies are contacting customers and revising bids. Others are reducing the time that estimates are valid. Industry insiders suggest that sign companies base quotes on the inventory they have on hand. On May 9, the US and China agreed to reduce tariffs for 90 days. US imports from China dropped from 145% to 30%, while China’s duties on US goods were reduced to 10% from 125%. On June 4, US tariffs on all steel and aluminum (except Britain) rose to 50% from the 25% imposed in March.
• Sign manufacturers could see a downturn if economic conditions reduce small business marketing budgets and/or capital spending. About 55% of small businesses said their income was half of what it was a year ago, according to a recent survey by Alignable, a social media outlet for small business owners. When asked how they were managing their businesses amid tariff pressures and economic uncertainty, the top five answers were: prioritizing customer retention, cutting costs and overhead, leveraging networking to reach new customers, expanding into new markets or services, and obtaining new sources for referrals. Of industries reporting sales dropping by half or more over the last year, some of the hardest hit include home furnishings, automotive, real estate, arts/music, and beauty salons.

• Commercial bankruptcy filings increased 8% in May 2025 compared to April, according to Epiq AACER and ABI. Commercial Chapter 11 filings increased by 62% over the same period. Epiq Vice President Michael Hunter said, “The sharp uptick in overall commercial chapter 11 filings in May 2025 underscores the ongoing economic pressures businesses face, from elevated borrower costs, potential tariff impacts, and geopolitical uncertainty.” Higher numbers of commercial bankruptcies could reduce demand for signage.
• Out-of-home (OOH) advertising spending is forecast to rise 4.8% in 2025 to a record $10 billion, according to a March forecast by advertising firm MAGNA. Digital out-of-home (DOOH) will account for most of the growth in 2025, rising 12% to $3.5 billion and accounting for 35% of total OOH sales. Urban OOH segments such as transit and street furniture are expected to see the strongest gains in 2025, rising 10% and 8%, respectively. Billboards are forecast to see revenue growth of about 3%. MAGNA projects that local brands will outperform national ones in 2025. In the national brand space, connections between DOOH networks and specialist and omnichannel programmatic platforms will continue to make incremental gains.