As the high tariff negotiations between the U.S. and China continue, some companies that import almost exclusively from China could be impacted more than others. One of these companies is Stanley, which sells the colorful 40-ounce cups that have become extremely popular in the past few years.
Stanley’s cups aren’t the only ones that could be impacted by the tariffs — 96% of U.S. items in the category “vacuum flasks and other vacuum vessels” are supplied by China, according to Sherwood News.
This category includes metallic insulated bottles such as tumblers, as well as insulated travel coffee mugs and thermos mugs. Stanley is one of the most successful brands in this category.
The potential impact of tariffs on companies like Stanley and Yeti
Stanley is a 112-year-old privately owned brand that is most well known for its 40-ounce “Quencher Flowstate Tumblers,” which became extremely popular by influencers on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic.
These colorful cups have continued to have a strong following over the past few years. The company’s sales skyrocketed from $73 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023, according to CNBC.
According to Sherwood News, Stanley’s parent company imports most of its products from China, with smaller amounts shipped from Vietnam and Thailand.
“While the company may have other suppliers delivering goods over land or via air shipping that would not show up in this data, having such reliance on Chinese suppliers for its star product could cause some pain for the company,” per Sherwood News.
Currently, one of the 40-ounce Flowstate Tumblers sells for $45 on the company’s website. If that price is subject to the full 145% tariff on imports from China, that single tumbler could cost as much as $110.
Despite the potential impact of these tariffs, Stanley has recently introduced a new line of Quencher H2.0 FlowState Tumblers called the Stanley Fluted Tumbler.
“The Stanley Quencher H2.0 Fluted 40-ounce Tumbler is a line of metallic, gloss and matte Stanley cups with new ribbed designs,” per AL.com. The new collection is available in seven colors and is also available in 30-ounce and 20-ounce sizes.
Another company with similar products that also imports from China and could be affected by the tariffs is Yeti. The company’s total revenue in 2024 was $1.83 billion, with 60% of that from its drinkware line, which features mostly mugs and tumblers, per Sherwood News.
The vast majority of Yeti’s drinkware shipments originate from China, just like Stanley.