While the cost of your next 3D printer may be going up in the U.S., the cost of your filament doesn’t have to increase. Or that is, it won’t if you buy American. Many customers in the U.S. are bemoaning the impact of President Trump’s tariff war on their favorite hobby, with new3D printers possibly going uphundreds of dollars or remaining mysteriously out of stock.
Polymaker, a global supplier of affordable filament, recently announced that it will be forced to increase prices by 10% on May 1st. In a statement issued on its website, Polymaker said it reviewed the amount of stock sitting in U.S. warehouses before making the difficult decision to hike prices to compensate for tariffs.
I had the chance to talk toPolymaker representatives at Rapid + TCTin Detroit earlier this month and ask them if the new Houston, TX plant would help keep costs down. The answer was yes and no. Unfortunately for the average consumer, the Texas facility specializes in wholesale customers and only produces PLA, PETG, ABS, and ASA in limited colors. You also have to buy over $1,000 in materials to place a wholesale order. But if that’s you, congratulations, your prices are holding steady.
American Made 3D Printer Filament
Many American filament manufacturers are able to keep their supply chain domestic thanks toNatureWorks, a U.S. plastics companythat creates raw PLA pellets from Nebraska-grown corn.
American filament companies are taking advantage of the tariff talks to remind customers that they can always buy local.Polar Filament in Troy, MIannounced on social media that pricing would remain the same, as its entire supply chain is US-based.
“So far, we’ve confirmed that the most critical components, including the resin (the raw plastic pellets), colorants, spools, and even the paper used in our boxes, are all sourced domestically. We’re also setting up our own injection molding machine so we can make spools right here at our facility,” said Mitch Davis in the statement.
Polar Filament currently sets its price for Basic PLA at $18.99 and $21.99 for premium colors, besting Polymaker’s price by several dollars. Free shipping for US customers kicks in after three spools.
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I also stopped to chat withNew York-based GreenGatemanufacturer Rich Silberfeld during Rapid + TCT in Detroit. GreenGate makes premium recycled PETG filament that can easily print at lower PLA temperatures. Silberfeld said his filament not only saves plastic scraps from going into the landfill, but also uses domestic colorants and spools. He was showcasing a special color, Spartan Armor Green, in honor of Michigan State University while stationed in theAmerica Makessection of Rapid + TCT.
GreenGate is running a sale on theAmerican Bundle, a three-pack of Red, White, and Blue PETG, which also includes free shipping and a t-shirt, for just $86.37.
Here are a few more of our favorite tried and tested,Made in the USA filamentsthat use domestic NatureWorks raw materials.
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Denise Bertacchi is a Contributing Writer for Tom’s Hardware US, covering 3D printing. Denise has been crafting with PCs since she discovered Print Shop had clip art on her Apple IIe. She loves reviewing 3D printers because she can mix all her passions: printing, photography, and writing.
