Trump Tariff Hurts USB Flash Drive Market

Yes, there is a tariff on USB flash drives coming from China.

Two tariffs have been assigned to the USB flash drive category when importing product from China since 2020:

• February of 2020 — a 7.5% tariff was enacted by Trump
• January of 2025 — a 10.0% tariff was enacted by Trump

The total tariff amount is currently 17.5% for all USB flash drives imported from China into the United States.

Many economists argue tariffs are harmful to the U.S. economy because they raise costs for consumers and businesses while disrupting global trade. U.S. manufacturers rely heavily on imported semiconductors, steel, and electronic parts. When input costs rise, American companies lose competitiveness, jobs are threatened, and growth slows.

Is this bad? Mostly YES and a little no.

Yes — because a tariff functions as a tax. No matter how you spin it, the cost is passed down to the consumer.

No — because tariffs are designed to reduce the trade deficit by nudging U.S. suppliers to manufacture locally. But in reality, this “reshoring” rarely works in industries with globalized supply chains.

Retaliation is another risk. China, or other partners, can respond with tariffs of their own, hurting U.S. exporters. The cycle becomes less about strategy and more about political chest-thumping.

For example, no major players — Kingston, Western Digital, Nexcopy, or Micron — manufacture flash memory in the United States. All rely on contract factories abroad. Even if final assembly happened in the U.S., NAND memory (85% of the bill of materials) would still need to be imported. In practice, it’s cheaper to pay the tariff than to rebuild the entire supply chain domestically.

Tariffs: An Old Playbook

Tariffs have been around for centuries as a blunt tool to raise revenue and protect domestic industries. But global trade has moved on. Free trade agreements and rules enforced by groups like the WTO have proven more effective for long-term growth. The Trump 2025 administration’s reliance on broad tariffs underscores a lack of modern trade strategy, leaving U.S. consumers holding the bill.

What can you do?

Not much. No U.S. factory is producing USB flash drives, and shipping through third countries like Mexico or Taiwan costs more than paying the tariff. Consumers can’t “game” the system because U.S. Customs enforces thresholds aggressively.

A couple notes:

• Shipments valued under $800 are exempt from tariffs
• But $800 is too small for manufacturers to realistically benefit
• The Harmonization Code for USB Flash Memory is 8523.51.00.00

U.S. flash drive sales are estimated at $5.47 billion for 2024. Even if the U.S. market was just 1% of that figure, the sheer volume makes “under $800 shipments” impractical. Customs would catch on quickly to any attempt at breaking orders down.

Bottom line: tariffs on USB flash drives are here, and they hit end-users hardest. The only real way forward is through better trade policy and electing leaders who understand how to negotiate deals without defaulting to tariffs.

This original article was posted on the English GetUSB.info website at: Is There a Tariff on USB Flash Drives?

With in a few minutes of downloading Rufus one can determine the software does not make a USB CD-ROM flash drive.

We confirmed this with another article we found on the web from GetUSB.info and they explained how to burn ISO to USB. What they concluded, and so did we, is that Rufus will extract the content of an ISO file and copy those files to the USB flash drive, but the Rufus software doesn’t change the configuration of the device, to that of a CD-ROM.

What started this quest was not wanting to make a bootable Windows flash drive, but rather, find a way to make a USB read-only so the data on the flash drive would not be removed or deleted.

In addition to having the USB read-only for the content, it also makes things impossible for a virus to jump onto the flash drive and spread. Given (my day job) my company doesn’t want a flash drive with our content and logo to be able to spread a virus, so the only solution we found was making sure the USB stick was read-only in the first place.

GetUSB.info article explains what Rufus does and also how to make a USB CD-ROM flash drive, the right way.

Why hardware write-protected USB drives are critical for Industrial Control Systems.

Honeywell’s recent cybersecurity report noted that 37% of threats are designed to spread via removable media, nearly doubling from 19% in 2020. That spike highlights how USB flash drives remain a weak link in Industrial Control Systems (ICS) if not properly managed.

Honeywell’s solution, Honeywell Forge, is software that monitors connected devices and flags risks [Ref:1]. Monitoring is useful, but it doesn’t prevent malware from getting in. Prevention requires the right kind of media in the first place.

Air-gapped systems and the USB problem

ICS environments are typically air-gapped—they’ve never touched the internet. Updates happen through portable storage, usually a USB flash drive. If that drive is compromised, malware bypasses all other defenses and lands directly in the control system. The only effective safeguard is a drive that is physically incapable of being infected while in transit.

Software tricks—like setting a read-only attribute with DISKPART or flipping registry rights—don’t cut it. Those methods are easy to reverse and offer little real protection against a determined attacker.

A hardware-level solution

The Lock License flash drive by Nexcopy takes a different approach. Its write protection is enforced at the hardware controller level. Unlike software locks, hardware-level controls cannot be undone with a few registry edits. This makes the device far more resistant to tampering or malware injection.

The Lock License design also balances usability. A content creator can temporarily unlock the drive with a password to write new data. Once disconnected, the drive automatically returns to its secure state: read-only. That means you can safely prepare update media in a trusted environment, then deploy it to an ICS without fear of the drive being altered along the way.

Final thought

It’s hard not to ask: why weren’t USB drives built like this from the beginning? For ICS, where uptime and safety are everything, a hardware write-protected flash drive isn’t just a convenience—it’s a necessity.

Why enterprises are turning to hardware-based write protection for USB flash drives.

Data protection and cyber-security have become inseparable from day-to-day business operations. In this article, Greg Morris, CEO of Nexcopy Incorporated in Southern California, explores the opportunities enterprises have with write-protected USB technology.

November 18, 2020

As the global economy leans further into digitization, intellectual property and sensitive assets are increasingly shared in digital form. That shift comes with higher risks. Data breaches, cyberattacks, and hacking attempts against individuals, governments, and private corporations have grown dramatically over the past decade. Reports suggest that a single data intrusion can cost an enterprise an average of $3.92 million in damages.

The stakes are clear: protecting digital data—especially confidential information—should be a top priority for IT managers. Without a strategy in place, an enterprise leaves itself open to cyber criminals who can exploit weak entry points to steal or manipulate information worth millions.

Cyber-security and endpoint data loss protection strategies need to cover all access points, including portable devices like USB flash drives. Employees require storage tools that are both secure and simple to use. Striking this balance empowers users while ensuring IT managers can safeguard the organization’s infrastructure against human error or forgetfulness.

Since IBM introduced the USB flash drive in 2000, the device has remained a primary tool for information exchange across industries—government, healthcare, finance, telecommunications, and manufacturing all rely on USB storage. While convenient, standard USB drives carry risk. Without built-in safeguards, they can easily become vehicles for leaking sensitive data.

Healthcare illustrates the problem clearly. Doctors often use USB drives to move patient data between offices and hospitals. Each site must remain secure, yet transferring files creates opportunities for malware to piggyback on the process. If a USB is read-only by default, malicious code cannot be written to it. After a network scan confirms safety, a password can unlock the drive to temporarily allow write access. By defaulting to write-protected mode, Lock License drives make it impossible for malware to slip in unnoticed.

Lock License drives automatically return to read-only mode whenever they are disconnected. This creates a smooth user experience—data can always be read without a password, while write access requires explicit authorization. Employees get the simplicity they expect, while IT teams benefit from reduced exposure to cyber threats.

The same principle applies in industrial settings. System control products—such as turbines, pumps, and wind energy motors—rely on firmware updates to function properly. Because these units lack interfaces to enter encryption passwords, encrypted USBs are not practical. A write-protected USB, however, is ideal. The system can pull updates directly from the drive, while the drive itself remains immune to malicious code injection.

Layered defenses remain critical for modern enterprises. Software solutions help, but locking down the most common physical entry point—the USB port—with hardware-enforced read-only devices adds another level of protection. Nexcopy’s write-protected USB flash drives fit into this broader strategy, helping both public and private organizations reduce vulnerabilities and maintain tighter control over digital assets.

Learn more about Nexcopy’s USB write protection technology.

Nexcopy’s Lock License flash drive adds password-based control to hardware write protection.

Nexcopy has redefined how secure USB media can function with the Lock License flash drive. By default, the drive is read-only—completely write protected. Using Nexcopy’s Lock License utility, the user can temporarily unlock the device with a password to enable write access. Once power is cut, the device automatically reverts to its safest state: read-only.

Greg Morris, CEO of Nexcopy Inc., explains: “What makes the Lock License unique is that whenever power is cut, the USB automatically returns to write-protected mode. This first-line defense makes it impossible for malicious software or a virus to infect the drive.”

The initial password is set on first use. From that point on, the user controls when the drive is writable. The design offers businesses a practical balance between usability and security.

Key Features

• Default state is read-only (hardware write protection)
• User-defined password removes write protection
• No password required for reading; functions like a WORM device
• GUI and command line utilities available for unlocking
• No back-door access—Nexcopy cannot unlock the device
• Available in USB 2.0 and USB 3.0, from 2GB up to 128GB

Stan McCrosky, head of Sales at Nexcopy, points to industries such as utilities, petroleum, and waterworks as clear beneficiaries. “Being able to update firmware on a hardware write-protected USB ensures maximum in-field security. The command line utility lets manufacturers automate updates without leaving the drive in a writable state.”

How It Works

• Insert the Lock License USB into a Windows computer
• Launch the GUI or command line utility
• Enter the assigned password to unlock write access
• Load or update content on the drive
• Eject the drive—once disconnected, it reverts to read-only
• Read access is universal; password is only required for unlocking write access

Nexcopy offers the Lock License media in multiple body styles and colors suitable for custom branding. Options include Oxford (swivel style), Newport, Lexington, Augusta, Huntington, and Geneva. Oxford is the stocked model, available for same-day printing and shipping.

In stock, Nexcopy carries Oxford swivel drives in USB 2.0 (2GB, 4GB) and USB 3.0 (8GB through 128GB) capacities. Full-color branding is available through Nexcopy’s Logo-EZ printer.

The Lock License utility can be downloaded from Nexcopy’s support page. Note: the security function requires Nexcopy-licensed media—it cannot be applied to off-the-shelf USB sticks.

Why formatting a USB stick as UDF is possible—but not always recommended.

When you format a USB flash drive in Windows 7 or Windows 10, the common file system choices are FAT, FAT32, or exFAT. NTFS is also offered, but it’s not ideal for removable media as we’ve explained before. The available file system options shown in Windows depend on the capacity of the drive connected.

So why don’t you see UDF on that list?

First, it is possible to format a flash drive with UDF (Universal Disk Format) on Windows. Microsoft simply doesn’t make it a default option—and there are good reasons why.

Important note: formatting a USB drive with UDF will not make it behave like an optical drive. UDF is common in DVDs and optical media, but applying it to a USB stick doesn’t magically turn it into one.

The assumption some users make is that UDF creates a “universal” USB, compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, Symbian, and other systems. In reality, exFAT already fills that role, offering broad compatibility without the risks tied to UDF.

Why avoid UDF on flash drives?

• Lack of robust file system check tools
• Known 64GB bug in Windows and Linux (not a UDF spec issue, but an implementation bug)
• Wear-leveling problems on SD and USB mass storage devices
• Windows XP treats UDF as read-only

The most important drawback is the first one: if a UDF-formatted USB drive is unplugged mid-operation and data is corrupted, there are no tools to properly check or repair the file system. For a medium designed to be portable and frequently removed, that’s a big risk.

How to format a flash drive as UDF in Windows

1. Connect the USB drive and confirm the assigned drive letter.

2. Ensure no programs are accessing the drive.

3. Open Windows Explorer, navigate to the C: drive, and type CMD into the search field. Press Enter. Run as Administrator.

4. In the Command Prompt window, type:
format G: /fs:UDF /q
(Replace G with your drive’s letter.)

The /fs parameter specifies the file system (UDF), and /q instructs DiskPart to perform a quick format.

5. Press Enter when asked to confirm the drive is inserted.
6. Enter a Volume name, or leave it blank by pressing Enter.

DiskPart will complete the format and confirm the result. Type exit to close the Command Prompt.

Note: the /q command deletes the file table and root directory, but it does not scan for bad sectors. Combined with the lack of UDF repair tools, this makes the file system especially fragile on portable devices. For most users, exFAT remains the safer choice for cross-platform compatibility.

A compact USB flash drive duplicator built for today’s home office needs.

Today more people than ever are working from home. A comfortable environment is great for productivity, but the home office often lacks some of the specialized gear found in corporate IT departments. As businesses shift toward remote setups, certain tools remain essential to keep workflows running smoothly.

Consider an IT manager rolling out restore images, or a software developer pushing updates to remote users. Both scenarios need a way to duplicate USB drives quickly and reliably. That’s where a mini-sized USB flash drive duplicator from Nexcopy fits in.