US retailers use Trump tariff threats to urge shoppers to buy more: Report

Many US businesses are urging customers to buy now before President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs potentially raise costs and prices, local media reported.

Throughout his campaign, Trump promised to impose tariffs of 60 percent on all Chinese goods and across-the-board tariffs of 10 percent to 20 percent on goods from other countries. On Monday, he outlined plans to levy tariffs of 25 percent on imports from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10 percent on goods coming from China, according to Xinhua news agency, citing The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Friday.

“It is unclear what tariffs will be levied and how much they will affect prices,” said the report. “Companies are pouncing at a moment when fear and uncertainty are on the rise and consumer spending is showing signs of weakness.”

Most large corporations have yet to incorporate warnings about possible tariffs into their marketing campaigns, and they might not explicitly do so at all. However, several have pointed out that they may need to pass on higher costs, the report said.

“Tariffs have the potential to cost shoppers up to $78 billion in annual spending power, according to a recent study from the National Retail Federation. Small-business owners said they fear that higher prices will cause shoppers to pull back on how much they spend and be more selective with the types of products they purchase,” the report added.