FAQs

What parts are impacted by the new tariff?

Beginning with shipments made on October 1, 2019, Symmetry will bill Section 301 tariff charges at a flat rate reflecting those of our suppliers. Our approach is one geared towards simplicity and equitability. Please contact sales for the current tariff rates and affected device types.


Will Symmetry charge the tariff to customers?

Beginning with shipments made on October 1, 2019, Symmetry will bill Section 301 tariff charges at a flat rate reflecting those of our suppliers. Our approach is one geared towards simplicity and equitability. Please contact sales for the current tariff rates and affected device types.


How will Symmetry bill me for the incremental tariff charge?

We will require a Purchase Order revision to add a separate line item for the tariff amount. Our approach for billing customers will be to accumulate the tariff over a defined period and provide a standalone invoice for the tariff charges. The exception will be for suppliers that have chosen to increase the piece part price, in which case we will have no choice but to pass these prices increases along in the purchase price. We believe separating the tariff will reduce the supply chain impact and have the least disruptive effect from an accounting and business process perspective.


When will Symmetry begin/end billing customers for the incremental tariff charge?

Beginning with shipments made on October 1, 2019, Symmetry will bill Section 301 tariff charges at a flat rate reflecting those of our suppliers. 


Symmetry has decided to absorb the tariffs for a period of time. How can Symmetry afford to do this?

Symmetry typically has approximately 90-days of estimated usage on hand, so much of our current inventory of Section 301 impacted parts will be imported before the effective date. We buy this in advance of customer demand and have inventory in stock that was brought in prior to the assessment of the section 301 tariff. There will be instances where Symmetry may not have enough tariff-free parts to cover all customer demand. Symmetry has made the decision to absorb these costs while our systems are being modified to properly assess and collect the tariffs in the future.

In short, Symmetry’s world-class inventory allows us to delay billing for the Section 301 tariffs for the time being.


Are other distributors delaying implementation of the tariffs?

We do not know if other distributors will postpone, that is a business decision each must make. The industry is dealing with the same challenges relating to identifying affected parts, systems, how to invoice the tariff, and so on. Symmetry’s position is that we will wait until these issues have been resolved before we begin passing the tariff along to the customer.


How will the charge for the tariff be determined?

Beginning with shipments made on October 1, 2019, Symmetry will bill Section 301 tariff charges at a flat rate reflecting those of our suppliers. Our approach is one geared towards simplicity and equitability. Please contact sales for the current tariff rates and affected device types.


Can I specify in my order that I do not want China parts?

Symmetry carries a mixture of inventory that includes parts made exclusively in China and parts that come from China that may be made in other jurisdictions. At this time, Symmetry is unable to guarantee that any requests for parts made in places outside of China can be honored. Therefore, we will not be making any specific guarantees related to this type of request. Symmetry will assume that all customers would like to purchase parts from other sources where available and will take steps to alter buying patterns to reflect customer demand.


Will Section 301 tariffs be assessed on shipments to Puerto Rico or other US territories?

Shipments to Puerto Rico and other US territories are subject to Section 301 tariffs.

One of the ways Symmetry mitigates the effect of the tariff for exports is duty drawback. However, shipments to US territories do not qualify for drawback. Because Puerto Rico is a US territory and shipments to Puerto Rico are not considered exports, shipments to Puerto Rico or other US territories do not qualify for tariff exemption.


Will Symmetry accept customer cancellations of NCNR orders due to the tariff?

No, the NCNR must be enforced. Symmetry is only administering the tariff that is imposed upon us and is unable to modify this condition of sale.


What is Symmetry’s strategy for mitigating the tariff impact to customers?

Symmetry is working with suppliers to review the supply chain on parts being acquired after the effective date of the tariff. In working with suppliers on the inbound side, Symmetry will make buying decisions that provide the best available solution for procuring inventory that reduces the impact of the tariff. This may include strategies such as redirecting inbound inventory and buying from supplier sites in locations other than China. In addition to optimizing the procurement process, Symmetry has developed a process that is meant to be simple and flexible to allow customers ultimate decision-making over how to handle the tariff within their own environment.


Are part lead times and availability impacted?

Symmetry has not heard from any suppliers that lead times and availability are being impacted due to the tariff situation.


Are prices going to change?

Symmetry will not be implementing any price changes outside of the normal course of business due to tariff related issues unless a supplier chooses to add the tariff to the cost of the component.

We will continue to keep our product prices separate from government mandated tariff charges.


When will the customer know when/if an order contains items that are impacted?

Symmetry will provide the tariff amount for affected items as a separate line item in the order. Customers will have the opportunity to review the tariff charges for affect items before placing the order.


What is the industry outlook for tariff-related issues?

Symmetry is a member of various industry groups and trade associations that indicate common themes across the issues, similar to those addressed in this FAQ. Symmetry is not unique in needing a) a strong cooperation from suppliers to identify the impact on the affected parts and b) a flexible solution for customers that does not adversely affect the component supply chain.

SymmetryElectronics.com and SemiconductorStore.com are brought to you by Symmetry Electronic Corporation, an authorized distributor specializing in wireless, audio/video and embedded semiconductor products. We are an ecommerce and information site designed to focus on the specific needs of electronics design engineers and their colleagues. SymmetryElectronics.com provides a straightforward, easy-to-use site so that our customers can research the latest technology from a carefully selected group of global suppliers. Design Engineers and purchasing professionals can buy everything from development and evaluation kits, proto-type quantities, and production run items. In addition to the vast information capabilities, SymmetryElectronics.com offers design resources, such as application notes, detailed product information, data sheets, cross reference tools, product selection guides, market segment information, informative videos and block diagram navigation tools.

We are authorized distributors with factory-trained support teams available to help customers with everything from product selection to getting a development kit fired up. All product is fully supported by manufacturer warranties.

For first time customers: you can add items to your cart, and during the checkout process you will be asked to create a username (your email address) and a password.

For existing Symmetry customers: you can either place an order on the site using your email address and password, or contact our sales team and we can issue you credentials that are already set to use your existing customer account.

Submit a request for your password here.

Not only can you call one of our knowledgeable team members at (310) 536-6190, our normal working hours are 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM PST, you can contact us at any time online.

We have no minimum orders.

You can verify stock by contacting our sales team at (310) 536-6190, or by email. If you place an order, and the goods are not in stock, a sales team member will contact you by email with the delivery time.

Shipping charges are based on our negotiated rates with the common carriers. FedEx is our preferred carrier and offers the deepest discounts to most destinations. Occasionally we get a product weight wrong and you will see an unusually high freight amount. If this happens, please contact us so we can correct the charges. An order confirmation will be sent to you after you place your order, and upon shipping, an invoice will be emailed to you with the detail of all charges. We do not charge your credit card until your order is shipped.

SymmetryElectronics.com does not ship via USPS.

When your order is shipped we will email you an invoice with the tracking number. Just click on the tracking number to trace your order. If your order is lost, contact us so we may file a claim for you. If your order hasn't shipped yet, contact our sales team for a delivery date. Please white list our domain SymmetryElectronics.com so you receive our notifications.

You can read about our payment terms by clicking here.

Your credit card will be charged the day your order is shipped. You will receive an invoice by email itemizing the charges.

We accept merchandise returns within 30 days of the original invoice date subject of the terms outlined in our terms and conditions.

We do! not only we provide products for design and prototype needs, we are well equipped to assist you with your full production runs.

Please contact us, or send us a Request For Quotation (RFQ) and we will be happy to quote you or your contact manufacturer price and delivery details for your production needs.

Our corporate office and 70,000 square foot warehouse is located in Southern California. Our mailing and shipping address is:

SymmetryElectronics.com
222 N. Pacific Coast Highway, 10th Floor
El Segundo, CA 90245

Your privacy is important to us. We do not sell our customers' information to anyone nor do we send out emails or mailings from third party providers. We may, however, send you emails and newsletters from time to time about our products, services and special offers we believe may be of interest to you. In addition, we may also send you periodic updates relating to changes and upgrades to our website. Please see our privacy policy for complete details. We intend these communications to be a service to our valued customers. If you do not wish to receive these notices, please send us an email to opt out.

Please visit our Section 301 Tariff page for detailed information about this topic.

Please visit our Proposition 65 page for detailed information about this topic.