Zilliant Survey: 45% of Execs Cite Tariffs as Top Pricing Threat as Food Manufacturing Volatility Becomes Structural

Research shows pricing has shifted from operational function to board-level control lever

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zilliant, the leader in pricing lifecycle management, today released research revealing that tariff pressure is accelerating a structural shift in food manufacturing pricing. What was once episodic volatility has become continuous, and organizations that protect margins are those that treat pricing as a leadership discipline rather than an operational task.

A survey of 400 senior executives at U.S. companies with $250M+ in annual revenue reveals a clear gap between rising cost volatility and the pricing systems built to manage it.

Key findings include:

• Tariff Exposure: 45% of executives cite tariff-related expenses as their primary pricing challenge, with 42% already shifting suppliers or sourcing regions in response.
• AI Adoption: 83% of executives now use AI-powered pricing tools, which is likely a key driver behind 87% of respondents remaining confident in their ability to protect profitability despite ongoing volatility.
• C-Suite Ownership: 98% of organizations have a designated pricing decision-maker, and 56% believe the CEO should ultimately own the pricing strategy.

Download the full report at zilliant.com. Meet Zilliant at COEX 2026, hosted by IFMA, in Atlanta, March 8–10.

FAQs

How are food manufacturers protecting margins amid tariff pressure?
Leading manufacturers are moving away from blanket price increases toward precision strategies applied at the SKU, customer, and channel level. This isolates margin risk without damaging distributor relationships.

What role does AI play in food manufacturing pricing?
For food manufacturers, AI enables confident decision-making at speed. Companies realize faster cost pass-through and scenario modeling without violating contract constraints or destabilizing live pricing across complex channel structures.

Why has pricing become a C-suite responsibility?
Pricing outcomes now directly shape EBITDA quality and board confidence. With 98% of surveyed organizations designating a pricing decision-maker, the shift is clear: in structurally volatile markets, slow or opaque pricing carries executive-level consequences.

About Zilliant

Zilliant eliminates Pricing Anxiety and transforms pricing into business power. Zilliant’s Precision Pricing Platform automates and optimizes pricing operations with real-time intelligence, rallying your entire organization around a single source of truth to protect margins and drive growth. Learn more about how Zilliant helps businesses transform pricing from a source of anxiety to a source of power at Zilliant.com.