In response to President Donald Trump’s extensive tariffs, businesses nationwide are tacking on a premium to their customers’ bills.
In what he dubbed “Liberation Day” for the United States, Trump said on April 2 that almost all nations would be subject to blanket tariffs of at least 10%. He then put a 90-day halt on these tariffs on Wednesday, claiming that Americans were growing “afraid” and “yippy.”
He only left out China from the suspension, and the two countries are now at odds over trade as Beijing has imposed a 125 percent retaliatory tariff and the United States has imposed 145 percent tariffs on Chinese imports.
Now, as Trump’s trade war with China continues and they prepare for the end of the 90-day break, American business owners say they are raising prices for their customers.
According to CBS News, the sexual wellness company Dame has automatically added a $5 “Trump tariff surcharge” to all transactions.
Alexandra Fine, the CEO of Dame, told CBS, “We’ve already seen the impact because our entire industry is in China.”
“To notify customers that this is an additional tax on us, the Trump tariff surcharge was added as a line item at checkout. “I wanted people to understand that political decisions are the reason it’s more expensive,” she continued.
According to CBS News, the Italian footwear business Labucq plans to raise prices by 10% next month. The company claims on social media that the hike is required to “remain sustainable.”
In a similar vein, Ryan Babenzien, the creator of shower head brand Jolie Skin, stated on social media that his business must increase costs to cover Trump’s “insane tariffs.”
Babenzien added, “Technically WE are not raising our prices, but the Tariff will make it more expensive for American consumers to buy a Jolie,” reports Newsweek. “We think transparency is the way to go here and I am giving Trump full credit for his decision to add this Tariff to all U.S. consumers.”
“At Jolie, we have been preparing for a tariff hike for approximately a year, but we never imagined it would be this crazy,” he continued.
Other businesses are starting “pre-tariff sales” in an attempt to attract clients by utilizing the levies. According to CBS News, the spice firm Burlap & Barrel is having a “spring cleaning-turned-impromptu Tariff sale,” which is a 20% reduction of all of their items.
Meanwhile, Trump’s tariffs have angered an increasing number of customers. Trump’s economic favor rating has fallen four points since March, according to a recent CBS News/YouGov poll, with 60% of participants saying they oppose his tariffs.
In the meantime, 53% of those surveyed said that the economy was becoming worse.
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