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Politics|As Tariffs Hit, Americans Are Racing to Buy Car Seats, iPhones and Christmas Gifts
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/12/us/politics/tariffs-china-iphones-panic-shopping.html
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Many Americans have purchased foreign-made products out of fears that companies could start to raise prices soon.
April 12, 2025, 5:02 a.m. ET
Emily Moen, a coffee shop manager in Omaha, was scrolling through TikTok earlier this week when she came across a video informing her that President Trump’s tariffs could lead to higher prices for essential baby products.
Ms. Moen, who is 15 weeks pregnant, said that she had not planned to buy a car seat soon. But after watching the video, she researched the one made by Graco that she had been eyeing, and learned that it was manufactured in China. Worried that the $200 seat could get even more expensive, she bought the item on Amazon the same day.
“It was like an awakening to get this done now,” said Ms. Moen, 29.
As the Trump administration’s trade war with China escalates, many consumers have raced to purchase foreign-made products out of fear that companies could start to raise prices soon. Some have rushed to buy big-ticket items like iPhones and refrigerators. Others have hurriedly placed orders for cheap goods from Chinese e-commerce platforms.
The White House this week imposed a minimum tariff rate of 145 percent on all Chinese imports to the United States, on top of other previously announced levies, including a 25 percent tariff on steel, aluminum, cars and car parts.
And last week, Mr. Trump ordered the end of a loophole that had allowed goods from China worth less than $800 to enter the United States without tariffs.
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