Formlabs CEO Says Company Is Caught in US-China Trade Fight

Max Lobovsky, the CEO and co-founder of Formlabs, raised concerns about the challenges his company faces due to ongoing global trade tensions, particularly between the United States and China, in an interview with WBZ-TV’s Logan Hall for CBS News.

Manufacturing in China and Trade Tensions

Formlabs builds its 3D printers in China, which has tied it closely to the changing trade relationship between the US and China. The imposition of tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding trade policies have created a challenging environment for businesses like Formlabs.

A leading 3D printing business based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Formlabs was established in 2011 by three MIT Media Lab students: Lobovsky, David Cranor, and Natan Linder. The company specializes in developing and manufacturing resin-based 3D printers, along with the software and materials needed to run them. Its products are widely used across various industries, including automotive, dental, and consumer electronics, serving clients like Apple and Tesla.

During the interview, which aired on May 12, 2025, Lobovsky said, “It discourages long-term planning. Long-term planning, long-term investment, that is what grows the economy for everybody. But we cannot do long-term planning right now because everything is changing constantly.”

Temporary Relief and Ongoing Concerns

The White House recently negotiated with China to cut tariffs for 90 days. US tariffs on Chinese goods dropped from 145% to 30%, and China lowered its tariffs on American products from 125% to 10%. While this move offers short-term relief, Lobovsky is still cautious. He explained that if tariffs go back up, their products could be much more expensive to make. That might push the company to move some of its manufacturing out of China. But how much of that will actually return to the US?

To prepare for possible future tariff rises, Formlabs has started looking for ways to rely less on Chinese manufacturing. One step in that direction is its new regional headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to support growth in the US industrial market. The 20,000-square-foot facility includes a print farm, showrooms, and space for over 100 employees.

Additionally, Formlabs has been working on making more parts at its own facilities instead of outsourcing production. In a LinkedIn post, Lobovsky said the company is moving some manufacturing back from China to places it can control directly. This helps reduce the risks tied to changing global trade rules.

Innovation First

Despite the challenges, Formlabs continues to innovate. In March 2025, the company launched a much faster second-generation curing system and Tough 1500 Resin V2. The new resin is 10 times more resistant to breaking than the earlier version and now comes close to matching the strength and flexibility of injection-molded plastics like polypropylene.

Lobovsky recently noted, “With our new Tough 1500 Resin, we have made a massive step change that brings us significantly closer to having 3D printed parts compete with injection molded parts in terms of toughness and longevity, but with much more design freedom and production flexibility.” 

The executive’s concerns reflect a bigger problem that many companies face: the difficulty of making long-term decisions when trade and political situations keep changing. For Formlabs, which leads in 3D printing technology, the biggest challenge is not the technological or the competition, but the uncertainty around trade rules. Lobovsky says businesses need more stable and predictable trade policies to support long-term growth and innovation.