Tariff-troubled US fears not-so-happy holidays

Out of hand

However, the impact of the tariffs is already being seen in the US. Consumer prices have been higher from April to September, after the Trump administration launched reciprocal tariffs, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows.

Several shoppers China Daily spoke to complained about the rising prices of chocolate, coffee, apparel, furniture and food.

Michael David, 75, a retiree from Syracuse, New York, said: "I just know that the (prices) are high … I mean, the way this country is doing tariffs, it just doesn't make any sense. Because it changes every other day — the figures, the amounts are out of hand."

David added it was important for the US and China to get along as they're at the top of the "economic food chain".

"So, they have to come to terms. The US can't exist without imports from China in everything … in this country, we have to manufacture more things. But we could never be totally independent. I mean, it's a world economy," he said.

In 2024, China's exports to the US exceeded $524.7 billion according to the Chinese General Administration of Customs. They included: appliances, toys, games, apparel, machinery, and electronics. Meanwhile, the US imported $438.7 billion in goods from China, the United States Trade Representative said.

US importers brought in goods earlier to try and offset the tariff costs, Jonathan Gold, vice-president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation, told China Daily. But not all have been able to absorb the extra fees and costs. Some have been forced to raise prices to recoup lost revenue.

Tariffs are a top concern among shoppers ahead of the holiday season, with 85 percent anticipating higher prices because of the levies, NRF's annual consumer survey released in October found.

Abby Hogue, a 28-year-old photographer, was recently out shopping in a busy New York area looking for Christmas ornaments. She was "disappointed" that prices seemed higher this year compared with last year's holiday season.

"My family is very big on the holidays. We're a pretty big family and that's the one time that we can all be together. My brother's flying in from the Netherlands with his new baby and it's going to be the first time that I've seen my niece, so, all in all it's a pretty big deal for my family and I love being in a Christmas spirit.

"It's been a hard year, so I was looking forward to it and it's kind of a disappointment knowing everything (like prices) is getting to that too."

Most consumers still plan to spend hundreds of dollars on holiday gifts, decorations and food, NRF's survey found.

At least 90 percent of all artificial Christmas trees are made in China, according to the US Department of Commerce. And, over 20,000 types of Christmas products, such as ornaments, tinsel and decorations are mass produced in Yiwu International Trade City in Yiwu, Zhejiang province.

Hogue added: "I definitely think that the China tariffs are affecting everyday goods and the consumer. That makes sense as the cost of goods is higher and that trickles down to the consumer, and that's tough."

White House spokesman Kush Desai pushed back on the notion that tariffs were hurting Americans. "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," he said in a statement.

Thomas Fullerton, a professor of economics and finance at the University of Texas at El Paso, said it has been clear for over a year and a half about who actually bears the brunt of costs. "Lower-income US consumers will face the biggest consequences from the new tariff hikes," he told China Daily.

He added: "The economy entered 2025 in good shape and that momentum is still largely in place …High tariffs are needlessly raising the costs of raw and intermediate inputs that contain steel, aluminum, copper, and lumber."

The year-to-date revenue created by tariffs was at least $215 billion up until the end of September/October, according to the Trump administration.