If you're running a Shopify store that deals with international products, tariffs are probably affecting you - even if you don’t realize it yet. Maybe your costs have gone up unexpectedly, or maybe your customers have asked why shipping times have changed. Behind the scenes, tariffs play a big role in how e-commerce works. And they don’t just affect pricing and sourcing. They also tie into compliance, especially when your store operates across borders.

In this blog, we’ll walk through what tariffs are and new US updates, how they show up in your daily business, and where they intersect with compliance efforts. No legal jargon, no complicated rules. Just clear explanations to help you keep your store running smoothly.

What Are Tariffs?

Tariffs are taxes that governments place on imported goods. They are charged when products move from one country into another. The goal of tariffs can vary. Sometimes they’re used to protect local industries. Other times they are a tool in trade negotiations. Regardless of the reason, the outcome for merchants is simple: importing goods becomes more expensive.

In 2024 and continuing into 2025, the United States introduced a new wave of tariffs targeting products from countries like China. These new tariffs are aimed at industries such as electric vehicles, solar panels, batteries, and semiconductors. The idea is to protect U.S.-based production from overseas competition. For Shopify merchants, especially those importing or dropshipping these types of products, the changes are already making an impact.

Even if you're not in one of those industries, the effect can reach you. When suppliers face higher costs, they often pass those costs down the chain. So, you might see price hikes on components, packaging, or electronics that are part of your own product offering.

The recent U.S. tariffs also come with more focus on where goods are sourced and how they’re labeled. This makes it more important than ever for merchants to know exactly where their products originate. Some products might need updated origin declarations, and depending on how you ship, that can mean changes to customs documentation or store policies.

With these trade shifts happening, it’s a good time to review how your store handles international data and policies too. What starts as a trade move often brings along changes that touch the rest of your business setup.

How Tariffs Affect Your Shopify Store

You might not deal with customs paperwork directly, especially if you use dropshipping or print-on-demand services. But the effects of tariffs still reach you. If you use a supplier based overseas, tariffs might increase the wholesale cost. That means your profit margin shrinks unless you raise prices.

Tariffs can also cause delays. When goods are flagged for customs inspection, they don’t move as fast. Longer shipping times can frustrate your customers. If your store promises fast delivery, these delays can create pressure to update your shipping policy or product pages.

Some merchants respond to tariffs by switching suppliers. For example, they may move production from China to Vietnam to avoid certain U.S. tariffs. That sounds like a smart move - and it often is - but it comes with hidden layers. Changing suppliers affects your product descriptions, order tracking, tax responsibilities, and privacy statements. That’s where compliance starts to play a role.

What Is Compliance Doing in a Blog About Tariffs?

At first glance, tariffs are just about money and logistics. But if you take a closer look, you’ll see they often create ripple effects that touch data privacy and legal obligations.

When you import or export goods, you deal with country-specific rules. These can include rules about labeling, shipping declarations, and product origin statements. Some regions have special requirements for items like food, electronics, and cosmetics. If your store sells these products, your legal pages may need updates.

Here’s a simple example. Say your fulfillment provider is moving to a different country because of new tariffs. If your customer data is now being processed in a new region, that might affect which data protection laws apply to your store. If your Shopify store sells to people in the EU, you need to comply with GDPR. That means disclosing where data is processed and offering specific rights to visitors. A change in supplier location could mean your Privacy policy is no longer accurate.

Even something like adjusting your cookie tracking tools to better match your new audience can trigger changes. Consent banners, preference popups, and the way you log consent may need to be reviewed. These small shifts are easy to overlook when you’re focused on products and logistics.

This is why merchants should think of compliance as something that moves with the business, not a box you tick once. When tariffs push you to adjust your operations, your compliance setup should shift with it.

What Shopify Merchants Should Watch For

If you’re already running a store, you’ve probably dealt with supply chain decisions before. But with tariff-related changes, it helps to be extra careful with how those changes affect your site.

First, review your Privacy policy. If your fulfillment center has changed countries, or if you’ve added a new supplier or service provider, update the locations listed in your policy. This isn’t just about being accurate - it’s about meeting legal requirements in places like the EU, UK, or California.

Second, check your Cookie banner and consent behavior. If your new traffic sources include a region with stricter rules - say, Germany or France - you may need to shift to explicit consent for tracking tools like Facebook Pixel or Google Analytics. Consentmo can help here. It allows you to toggle between consent modes and adjust banner visibility based on location.

Third, look at your checkout and shipping pages. If tariffs have changed your delivery times, make sure that’s reflected where customers make decisions. Outdated timelines or vague disclaimers can cause frustration or even lead to disputes.

Finally, if you’ve changed the way you collect data - maybe because of a new email platform, loyalty app, or delivery system - review how that data is used. This is especially important if the data now flows through a new country. Shopify apps like Consentmo can help track what data is collected and where it’s going.

Real Example: A Store Adjusting to New EU Tariffs

Let’s look at a quick case. Imagine a Shopify merchant based in the U.S. who sells handmade leather goods. They import accessories from Turkey and sell mainly to customers in Germany and France. In early 2025, new EU tariffs increase the import cost for leather items. The merchant decides to source part of their collection from Morocco instead.

This supplier switch changes the origin of the products, the route of delivery, and even how customs handles data attached to each shipment. Because the merchant also uses an EU-based fulfillment partner, the new arrangement means their data processors shift locations too. Their old Privacy policy says customer data is handled in Turkey - but that’s no longer true.

If the merchant keeps using their old setup, they’re not just absorbing new costs, they’re also at risk of violating EU data rules.

Tariff & Compliance To-Do List

If you're adjusting your store due to tariffs, here’s a quick checklist to help you keep compliance in mind along the way:

1. Review your Privacy policy – Check if supplier or fulfillment location changes affect how you collect or process customer data.
2. Update your Cookie banner behavior – Especially if you're entering stricter regions like the EU. Adjust consent settings as needed.
3. Check your shipping and delivery details – Make sure estimated times reflect any delays caused by customs or new sourcing regions.
4. Audit third-party tools – If you added or replaced apps or services due to new suppliers, confirm how they handle data.
5. Double-check DSAR and Do Not Sell pages – If required in your target region, make sure they reflect the latest setup.
6. Talk to support if needed – If you're not sure whether changes impact your compliance setup, it’s worth checking in with your app provider or a legal consultant.

Keeping these points in mind can help you adapt to changes in tariffs while keeping your store’s policies and practices in good shape.

Wrapping It All Up

Tariffs might seem like something only large importers or wholesalers need to think about. But in today’s Shopify world, even small businesses deal with global logistics. Whether you dropship from Asia, print-on-demand in Europe, or fulfill orders across regions, tariffs can show up in unexpected ways.

They change your costs, impact your delivery time, and influence your choices about suppliers. And those choices can affect your store’s legal pages, consent collection, and data handling setup.

This is why it helps to keep compliance connected to every operational change. Whether you're updating your pricing, switching product sources, or adjusting your tracking tool, bring compliance into the conversation early.

Consentmo makes that easier. With tools to adjust consent banners, reset preferences, and update multilingual policies, you can respond to change without falling behind.

Tariffs will come and go. But keeping your store in line with the rules, no matter where you sell or ship, is one way to stay prepared for whatever comes next.