Inflation & Prices
American Consumers Are Getting Rattled by Trump’s Tariff Chaos
A customer checks the prices of dairy products at a grocery store in San Francisco.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement set off the most volatile stretch of his second term, with financial markets descending into chaos, China unleashing retaliatory measures and the US president pausing some levies only hours after they took effect.
The whiplash made for a dramatic reminder to shoppers and companies that Trump’s trade policy can change on a dime. That unpredictability, economists say, is likely to be a drag on spending and investing.