Gateway News & Updates

The President recently announced significant tariffs that are expected to impact nearly all of the United States' trading partners. Given the uncertainty this creates for the future of our diverse and global network of preferred suppliers, it is crucial that we take proactive steps to minimize disruptions.

One of the most effective and actionable strategies is to prioritize purchasing from UC systemwide contracted suppliers whenever possible. These suppliers play a key role in our procurement strategy, as we have developed long-term, collaborative relationships with them. By consolidating our procurement spend with these trusted suppliers, we not only strengthen the value of our partnerships but also ensure greater continuity during this period of instability. These relationships are vital to both parties and provide a strong foundation for reliability in challenging times.

Accessing our strategic suppliers is easiest through Gateway, many of which provide catalog integrations. For items not listed in the catalogs, please refer to the UCOP Procurement webpage to find systemwide agreements: https://procurement.ucop.edu/systemwide-contracts and here for direct contacts with many of these suppliers.

In instances where you are unable to utilize one of our strategic suppliers, we recommend considering the potential impact of tariffs when requesting supplier quotes. If tariffs result in higher costs, it is preferable for these additional charges to be clearly itemized, rather than embedded within the overall price of goods.

My fellow UC campus Chief Procurement Officers, UC Systemwide Procurement, and I are actively collaborating to navigate these challenging and unpredictable supply chain conditions. I will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves.

Thank you,
Jacob Godfrey
UC Santa Barbara Chief Procurement Officer