Major U.S. companies are adjusting fast, but few are escaping the cost. President Donald Trump is preparing to impose sweeping new tariffs by 1 August, pushing the U.S. toward a trade regime unseen since the 1940s.
From canned food giants to tech exporters, the pressure is building. Conagra, which owns brands such as Hunt’s and Birds Eye, says inflation on tinplate steel is forcing it to raise prices. Nike expects to pay $1 billion in new tariffs this year and is already planning what it calls “surgical” price increases.
Fastenal, a U.S. industrial supplier, is now splitting shipments between Canada and the U.S., disrupting its supply chain. Yedi Houseware, a kitchen appliance importer, says it has paid more in tariffs this year than in the past decade combined.
Trump's policy has lifted the average U.S. import tax from around 2% to roughly 15%, the highest in more than 80 years. While some new deals are being struck — including with the UK, Vietnam, and Indonesia — U.S. allies are also looking elsewhere.
“The U.S. is no longer seen as the leader of the global trading system,” said Alan Wolff, former WTO deputy director general. “It will do what it wants, regardless of past obligations.”
That shift is visible on multiple fronts. European officials are now expanding deals with South America and the UAE. China is forging new ties with Europe. And U.S. companies such as Hewlett Packard are relocating production to Thailand, Vietnam, and Mexico.
The impact of tariffs extends beyond geopolitics. Inflation is back in focus. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed victory over “inflation propagandists,” yet consumer prices are rising — up 2.7% in June year-on-year.
Trump says the tariffs will restore U.S. manufacturing and end unfair foreign trade practices. But the data tells a mixed story. Factory construction is down. Manufacturing jobs have dipped. And companies such as Conagra and Fastenal are raising prices just to keep pace.
Some firms are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other tools to cut losses. Cardinal Health says it reduced its expected tariff costs from $450 million to $75 million by using smarter logistics and pressing suppliers.
But others feel cornered. Yedi’s CEO called his firm “collateral damage” and said the president’s claim that foreign governments pay the tariffs is false.
Trump’s strategy of unpredictability is driving a new global realignment. The U.S. is betting on pressure. But the world is already moving to adapt.
Russia and Ukraine are preparing another major prisoner exchange, with officials from both sides working to fin...
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time bein...
Government officials, investors and technology leaders have gathered in Tashkent for the inaugural Silk Road Fi...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Kyiv wants peace but will not surrender to Russia, as foreign leaders joined Independence Day events marking 35 years since Ukraine’s independence.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Only four commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, following 13 transits a day earlier, as disruptions continue to restrict traffic through the key energy chokepoint.
Pakistan is stepping up efforts to protect its trade and energy supplies as the Iran war disrupts shipping through the Persian Gulf, driving up freight costs and putting pressure on key export routes.
Russia and Ukraine are preparing another major prisoner exchange, with officials from both sides working to finalise lists of people who could be released, Russia's state news agency TASS said Wednesday.
The Trump administration has temporarily suspended some visa appointment scheduling at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world as part of a new training initiative for consular staff, adding another layer to the administration's broader immigration policy overhaul.
The United States has launched what it describes as its most aggressive sanctions campaign yet against Iran, expanding secondary sanctions and targeting sectors ranging from shipping and aviation to technology and finance.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Canada has announced nearly $20 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods and billions in support for workers and businesses, escalating its trade dispute with Washington after President Donald Trump's latest duties took effect.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment