Will Donald Trump’s customs offer increase prices in the United States? Although he recently published the last consumer price index (CCC), the first signs seem to show that customs duties imposed by the Trump administration could begin repercussions to US consumers, despite the denials of US president, CNN reports.
“It is true that prices do not increase as fast as a few years ago,” as the strong inflation indicated in 2022 following the war in Ukraine, but “I think that consumers will begin to see more price increases in the grocery store, in Amazon and in other places,” said Gus Faucher, senior vice president and economist Chief of Financial Services PNC, with CNN.
Toys, shoes, furniture …
“Consumers will begin to feel a little more tense in the coming months, because we will see more the impact of prices released by companies on consumers,” he continued. According to the CPI index, consumer prices increased by 0.2% in July compared to the previous month, but were contained by a strong drop in the cost of oil during the period.
Although monthly data can be very volatile, certain categories of products suggest an increase in prices in the United States in recent months, especially those whose supplies depend on imports, CNN emphasizes when trusting the last CPI index for the month of July 2025.
Therefore, toys saw that their prices are added by 0.2% in July after having increased 1.8% in June and 1.3% in May. The appliances, if they saw that their prices fell 0.9%in July, had found otherwise in June (+1.9%) and in May (+0.8%). Furniture and bedding saw that price increases accelerated in July ( +0.9%, after +0.4% in June and –0.8% in May). Hardware tools and stores also navigate an upward trajectory ( +1.2% in July after +1.2% in June and +1.1% in May).
External equipment ( +2.2% in July after -0.1% in June and +0.5% in May) and sports articles ( +0.4% in July after +1.4% in June and +0.3% in May) also show signs of inflation. Clothing prices, largely imported, remain stable ( +0.1% in July after +0.4% in June and –0.4% in May). But this relative stability hides a strong increase in shoes prices ( +1.4% in July after +0.7% in June and –0.4% in May) within this last category.
“There is no evidence of inflation”
“Some goods are increasing due to customs duties, but that still does not significantly affect consumers, helped by an economic fuel,” said Heather Long, economist from the Federal Navy Credit Union, with AFP. However, according to her, “it is only a matter of time before other goods are added,” despite the fact that Donald Trump promised during the presidential campaign to return purchasing power to Americans.
At the moment, the consequences are slow to feel with US consumers: companies have completed their stores before their entry into force, additional costs have been distributed along the supply chain and everything is not yet in force. Inflation linked to customs tasks “will not occur brutally, but for a slow deterioration of purchasing power,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist of US RSM, with CNN.
On the White House side, the analysis is quite different. “Customs duties have not caused inflation or other problem to our country,” Donald Trump said on his social social platform. “There is always no evidence of inflation induced by customs duties,” said the American television channel CNBC, one of his economic advisors, Stephen look.
Source: BFM TV
