The Hong Kong Business Owner’s Guide to Fighting Tariffs with NetSuite

If you’re running a business in Hong Kong or China, you’ve undoubtedly heard all the buzz about U.S. tariffs. They’ve been climbing higher and higher lately—some even reaching a whopping 245%. That’s not just a little bump in cost; that can completely change the way your business works. From what you charge customers to how you source products, everything suddenly feels a lot more complicated.

Need a tariffs primer? Well, think of them as extra charges slapped onto goods coming into the United States from overseas. They’re designed to protect U.S. businesses by making imported goods more expensive. But if you’re on the exporting side, like a company in Hong Kong shipping to American customers, this can really eat into your profits. That favorite electronics product you’ve been selling? It might suddenly be a lot more expensive for your customers—and that’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re trying to stay competitive.

NetSuite To the Rescue

This is where NetSuite comes in. Think of it like your business’s command center, except a bit wiser and entirely in the cloud. It doesn’t just help you keep your books clean—it can actually help you get smarter about how your whole operation runs. For starters, NetSuite gives you a crystal-clear view of what everything actually costs. Not just the sticker price, but all those hidden extras too—tariffs, freight charges, insurance, warehousing. You name it, it’s accounted for. So when your team is setting prices or negotiating with partners, they’ve got all the facts right there in front of them.

• Landed Cost Tracking: NetSuite calculates the total cost of your products, including tariffs, shipping, and handling. This way, you know exactly how much you’re spending.
• Supplier Management: It helps you find and manage suppliers, especially those in countries with lower tariffs.
• Compliance Tools: NetSuite automates customs paperwork, making sure you’re following all the rules without the headache.

Another way NetSuite helps is by giving you better control over your supply chain. Say you’ve been working with a supplier in mainland China for years, but now the tariffs on their goods have made that relationship way more expensive. NetSuite can help you identify new suppliers in other countries, compare costs, and transition smoothly. You’re not stuck—you’ve got options, and the system helps you weigh them in real time.

Then there's that other thing every business owner dreads—paperwork. When tariffs and trade regulations change, so does the pile of customs forms, tax filings, and compliance reports you’re supposed to keep track of. NetSuite takes a lot of that burden off your plate. It automates most of the customs documentation and makes sure you’re keeping up with all the latest trade rules. So instead of scrambling at the last minute, you can feel confident that everything’s in order.

In Practice

Need a real-world example? Let’s look at HK Express, a low-cost airline based right in Hong Kong. They were facing all kinds of pressure—not just from growing operations but also from rising costs across their supply chain. While their move to NetSuite came before the latest wave of tariffs, it gave them the kind of visibility and flexibility that’s now essential. Tariffs on aircraft parts, maintenance tools, and airport equipment can quietly chip away at an airline’s margins—but with NetSuite, HK Express is already positioned to spot cost increases early, respond quickly, and keep things running lean.

Here’s what they gained:

• A fast rollout – They got NetSuite up and running in just three months.
• Lower costs – By ditching on-premise infrastructure, they saved big on IT.
• A single source of truth – Finance, operations, and reporting were all synced up on one system.
• Scalability – NetSuite gave them the flexibility to grow without needing to constantly rework their backend.
• Cost tracking built for volatility – If tariffs or supplier prices shift, they can see the impact immediately and take action before it snowballs.

No more disconnected systems or waiting days for the latest numbers—just one unified dashboard showing exactly what they needed to make smart, fast decisions.

So if you’re wondering whether a NetSuite implementation could make a difference for your business, here’s something to think about. It’s not just about surviving tariffs—it’s about building a smarter, more flexible operation. Start by taking a close look at your biggest bottlenecks. Are you struggling with outdated spreadsheets? Do your teams waste time chasing down cost data or filling out the same forms over and over? If so, NetSuite might be just what you need to get ahead of the curve.

Staying competitive in today’s global economy isn’t easy, especially when the rules keep changing. But with a tool like NetSuite on your side, you’ve got the agility and insight to pivot when needed, scale when ready, and make decisions based on facts—not guesswork. That’s not just good business. That’s smart business.