US consumers say price rises caused by president\u2019s tariffs contradict his promise to make life more affordable<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a mother of two, Paige Harris has noticed a change in the way she shops for her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cItems that I have bought regularly have gone up in price steadily,\u201d she said. \u201cFrom hair dye to baby formula, our grocery list has gotten smaller while our budget has had to increase. Meats like steak are a no-go for our household.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Harris, 38, lives and works as a teacher\u2019s assistant in Stella, North Carolina, and is one of almost 40 people who spoke to the Guardian about how they\u2019ve been coping with the price of goods in the six months since Donald Trump<\/a> announced his sweeping tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Thursday, a study from S&P Global<\/a> revealed that companies were expected to pay at least $1.2tn more in 2025 expenses than was previously anticipated. But the burden, according to the researchers, is now shifting to US consumers. They calculated that two-thirds of the \u201cexpense shock\u201d, more than $900bn, will be absorbed by Americans. Last month, the Yale Budget Lab estimated<\/a> tariffs would cost households almost $2,400 more a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Harris says the tariffs\u2019 impact on her daily life contradicts promises from the Trump administration to \u201ccut prices and make living affordable for everyone\u201d. She said: \u201cYou see prices soaring. It has become very clear that this administration did not and does not care about the everyday lives of Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several Americans told the Guardian their weekly budgets had been drastically altered with the introduction of Trump\u2019s tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPrices are way too high. I mostly shop at Costco and buy as little as possible anywhere else,\u201d said Jean Meadows, a 74-year-old retiree who lives in Huntsville, Alabama. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine that stores haven\u2019t noticed the change. I think people are really afraid of what is coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That sense of apprehension is reflected in a recent poll, exclusively conducted for the Guardian, where respondents identified the tariffs as the second biggest threat\u2002<\/a>to the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe bread I buy has doubled in price within a year. We live on a fixed income that doesn\u2019t keep up with inflation,\u201d said Myron Peeler, who is also retired and is the sole caregiver for his wife, who suffers from debilitating arthritis. The only saving grace, he said, is that his house and car are paid off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump shows few signs of backing away from his tariff policy \u2013 a move the White House maintains will reinvigorate American manufacturing and increased revenue from trade partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most recently, the president reignited a trade war with China by threatening a 100% tariff on Beijing as soon as November. This came after China moved to restrict exports of rare earth minerals needed for several everyday items from electric vehicle batteries to hospital equipment, a decision that Trump branded as \u201cvery hostile\u201d. In an interview with Fox News, the president has admitted that the proposed tariff hike was \u201cnot sustainable\u201d, but said he was left with little choice: \u201cThey forced me to do that\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, the average US tariffs on Chinese exports hovers around 58%, according to the Peterson Institute for Economics. It\u2019s a levy that is already taking a toll on Americans such as Michele, from north-eastern Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need to buy new tires for a car, and can\u2019t, because affordable tires are no longer in stock and we can\u2019t afford $250 a tire,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several people echoed Michele\u2019s feelings about availability, describing the situation as \u201cempty shelves, higher prices\u201d. Natalie, who lives in New Hampshire, said she hasn\u2019t seen certain pantry staples \u201cfor months\u201d. She said: \u201cThe store shelves have become more and more bare \u2026 instead of multiple choices there may only be one or two, and name brands are being replaced by store brands.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At 55, Natalie is semi-retired but is due to start part-time work at a supermarket, and she has seen a price rise in nearly everything she buys regularly. \u201cAny brand of cat food has increased anywhere from 25% to double the price. One wet food my cats like went from $1.79 to $2.49 per can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new normal many Americans are bracing for, or already feeling, is not just the cost of groceries, for those such as Minnie, a food writer in Portland, Oregon, it\u2019s a change in lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t shop for non-essentials. No fall shopping trips for a new sweater or jeans. And we\u2019ll make all our Christmas presents this year,\u201d said Minnie, 55. \u201cWe used to dine out once a week. Now we never eat out. Even fast-casual is insanely pricey. Everything is twice what it used to cost and we\u2019re very afraid of what\u2019s next, financially speaking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n