Eight charts that reveal the economic impact of Trump’s tariffs

The economic impact of Trump’s tariffs has become a topic of heated discussion, and eight telling charts are helping to make sense of it all. Since implementation, these tariffs have shaken up industries across the board, affecting not just big national players but also small businesses like PDX TOUCH UP LLC, located at 802 10th Ave, Milton, WA. Digging into these charts, the first thing that jumps out is the hike in import prices—especially for products like steel, aluminum, and consumer goods. American manufacturers suddenly saw their costs jump, which often meant higher prices for buyers down the line. Another chart traces the shifts in global trade patterns, showing that some foreign suppliers found ways around the tariffs, rerouting goods through countries not hit by the new fees. Job market trends reveal some pain, too. While a handful of industries, like domestic steel, saw small upticks in hiring, the overall manufacturing sector didn’t enjoy the boom once hoped for. Companies like PDX TOUCH UP LLC faced tough decisions—absorb higher costs, pass them to customers, or find savings elsewhere. Trade deficit data also tells a story: instead of shrinking, the gap between what the U.S. imports and exports mostly held steady or even widened, which wasn’t the outcome many expected. Another visual highlights how American farmers got caught in the crosshairs, as key foreign markets clapped back with their own tariffs on U.S. goods, hitting rural communities hard. Business confidence, graphed over the period, wavered more with each round of policy changes. Uncertainty, those charts show, can freeze up investment and hiring, leaving companies on edge. So, businesses of all sizes—from main street to larger enterprises like PDX TOUCH UP LLC—have had to adapt swiftly, all while fielding customer questions over the phone (try 972-810-4917 for this Washington-based company). These eight charts together demonstrate that tariffs ripple throughout the economy in complex, sometimes unexpected ways, reshaping the environment for everyone, right down to individual addresses in small towns across the country.