U.S. consumers to pay 55% of tariff costs, Goldman Sachs says

Spread the love

U.S. consumers will end up paying the bulk of the cost for President Donald Trump’s tariffs, according to a report from Goldman Sachs.

The report undercuts repeated claims from the White House that foreign nations will pay the costs of the new import duties.

Goldman Sachs economists said American consumers will pay 55% of tariff costs, U.S. businesses will pay 22% and foreign exporters will pay 18%.

Goldman Sachs economists said U.S. firms are expected to pass costs onto consumers in the coming months, according to media reports.

“At the moment, however, U.S. businesses are likely bearing a larger share of the costs because some tariffs have just gone into effect and it takes time to raise prices on consumers and negotiate lower import prices with foreign suppliers,” the Goldman Sachs note said.

The Trump administration has repeatedly said that foreign governments would pay the tariffs.

“The President and Administration’s position has always been clear: while Americans may face a transition period from tariffs upending a broken status quo that has put America Last, the cost of tariffs will ultimately be borne by foreign exporters,” White House Spokesman Kush Desai said. “Companies are already shifting and diversifying their supply chains in response to tariffs, including by onshoring production to the United States.”

The White also blamed high prices on former President Joe Biden.

“Americans can rest assured that the Administration will continue to deliver economic relief from Joe Biden’s inflation crisis while laying the groundwork for a long-term restoration of American Greatness,” Desai said

The White House has previously denied that tariffs would raise consumer prices or that American companies would bear the higher costs.

“The reality is the president has always maintained that Chinese producers will be absorbing the cost of these tariffs,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing in May. “The president is committed to ensuring that prices remain low for American consumers andhe maintains the position that foreign countries will absorb these tariffs.”

Trump has told businesses that he doesn’t want them to raise prices. He wants businesses to absorb the loss without passing on the higher prices to consumers.

Shortly after Walmart announced that it would raise prices throughout its stores in May, Trump told the world’s largest retailer to “eat it.”

Economists, businesses and some publicly traded companies have warned that tariffs could raise prices on a wide range of consumer products.

Trump has said he wants to use tariffs to restore manufacturing jobs lost to lower-wage countries in decades past, shift the tax burden away from U.S. families, and pay down the national debt.

A tariff is a tax on imported goods paid by the person or company that imports the goods. The importer can absorb the cost of the tariffs or try to pass the cost on to consumers through higher prices.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Trump defends tariffs, tells beef producers to lower prices

Trump defends tariffs, tells beef producers to lower prices

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Cattle producers called on President Donald Trump to reverse course on a plan to import beef from Argentina as prices for the grocery store staple...
VA secretary pleads with Democrats to end the shutdown

VA secretary pleads with Democrats to end the shutdown

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square As part of a visit to the Washington, D.C., veterans’ medical center Wednesday, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins publicly urged Democrats in Congress...

WATCH: Pritzker opposes redistricting Illinois mid-cycle as other states move forward

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The prospect of Illinois legislators changing the state’s congressional maps before the 2026 election seems unlikely with...
Record-long govt shutdown threatens food, early childhood education assistance

Record-long govt shutdown threatens food, early childhood education assistance

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Senate Democrats are set to block Republicans’ government funding bill for the 12th time Wednesday, keeping the federal government shut down despite tens of millions...
Sen. Scott Wiener announces he's running for Pelosi's seat

Sen. Scott Wiener announces he’s running for Pelosi’s seat

By Dave MasonThe Center Square State Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat and vocal opponent of the Trump administration, announced Wednesday he’s running for U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat....
Cities sue Trump administration for tying funds to DEI

Cities sue Trump administration for tying funds to DEI

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Denver has joined a coalition suing the Trump administration over funds it says have been "illegally" withheld. Joined on the lawsuit by other Democrat-run cities...
Federal shutdown sidelines 34,000 workers in Colorado

Federal shutdown sidelines 34,000 workers in Colorado

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square As the federal government enters its fourth week of a shutdown, an estimated 34,000 Coloradans are currently on furlough from their federal jobs. That's according...
Poll: Majority of Americans favor voter ID requirement, split on mail-in voting ban

Poll: Majority of Americans favor voter ID requirement, split on mail-in voting ban

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square President Donald Trump’s plans to “restore election integrity” and prevent voter fraud include banning mail-in voting and requiring that voters present identification at the polls....
Op-Ed: Illinois becoming the lawsuit capital of America, and Springfield to blame

Op-Ed: Illinois becoming the lawsuit capital of America, and Springfield to blame

By Michelle SmithThe Center Square As someone who has spent decades building and rebuilding businesses in Illinois, I’ve grown accustomed to challenges that come with the territory: tight deadlines, rising...
Illinois treasurer promises to pass nonprofit legislation vetoed by Pritzker

Illinois treasurer promises to pass nonprofit legislation vetoed by Pritzker

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs says he will keep pushing nonprofit investment legislation that was vetoed by...

WATCH: Trump says he could attack drug cartels on land amid boat strikes

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump said the U.S. military could soon go after drug smuggling on land and would consider taking the matter to Congress, but said...
SpaceX launches record-breaking Falcon 9 flight

SpaceX launches record-breaking Falcon 9 flight

By Dave MasonThe Center Square SpaceX broke its record Wednesday morning for its number of Falcon 9 launches in a single year. This year’s 133rd Falcon launch took off, with...
Tribal nations ask U.S. Supreme Court to return lawsuit to state court

Tribal nations ask U.S. Supreme Court to return lawsuit to state court

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Ten Native American tribal nations are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to send a legal challenge to the Great Lakes Tunnel Project back to the...
Hochul blames congressional Republicans for delay in fuel assistance funding

Hochul blames congressional Republicans for delay in fuel assistance funding

By Chris WadeThe Center Square New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wants Congress to release federal funding to support New York’s Home Energy Assistance Program, which has been delayed by the...
Consumer protection organization warns of partnership between two 'woke' tech companies

Consumer protection organization warns of partnership between two ‘woke’ tech companies

By Tate MillerThe Center Square Consumers’ Research’s new Woke Alert warns of how a partnership between "woke" tech companies Anthropic and Salesforce could make it easier to push left-wing ideologies...