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\n White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up a copy of a letter to Japan, signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, announcing 25% tariffs beginning on August 1st.
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Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
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Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt holds up a copy of a letter to Japan, signed by U.S. President Donald Trump, announcing 25% tariffs beginning on August 1st.<\/p>\n
Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
It’s been over three months since President Trump announced very big across-the-board tariffs on imports from nearly every territory on Earth\u2013including uninhabited islands. It’s a move he said would revitalize the U.S. economy.<\/p>\n
Since that splashy White House announcement, the tariff rates have been a wildly moving target. Ratcheted up – then back down – on China, specifically.<\/p>\n
Overlaid with global product-specific tariffs on categories like automobiles and copper. Partially paused after the stock market tanked.<\/p>\n
Through it all, the tariff rate has remained at or well-above 10 percent on nearly every good imported to the U.S. <\/p>\n
And if you’ve listened to NPR’s reporting since April, you’ll have heard many voices make one particular prediction over and over again \u2013 that American consumers will pay the price.<\/p>\n
If American consumers are going to pay for the tariffs, the question is: when ? <\/p>\n
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n