This year looks a little different for Americans who say they are dialing their leisure activities and shopping requests due to tariffs.
Since taking office in his second term, President Donald Trump has ordered many sweep duties, including a 10% tariff on all imports that have paid for various products. He also threatens additional tariffs, which lead to stock market volatility and continues to worry from consumers about personal costs.
“The tariffs make the price even more unfairly higher. What you’re charging is not even close to what you’re worth,” says Reina Becker, a recently laid-off writer, currently working as a freelance copy editor in Upstate, New York. Becker said she wants to invest in her new summer wardrobe. “And I can’t afford to spend this kind of money, so I can’t do it with sincerity.”
The apparel industry has done a particularly big deal from Trump’s customs program, as most of the clothing, shoes and accessories are manufactured in places like China, Vietnam, India and before being shipped to the US.
Like Becker, May Wu, 31, who lives in Los Angeles, has found himself unable to scatter his shopping this year. She had turned to a $170 dress from Australian brand VRG GRL as her outfit for her June birthday party. However, when she saw an additional $277.95 on the price due to the tariffs, she decided not to buy it.
“I think the bottom line is worthy of being able to buy places we want to buy without being punished. How we spend our money is entirely up to us, and at the end of the day, Wu, the creator of the content we described as the “first world problem.”
A recent Consumer Pulse report from accounting firm KPMG, which surveyed 1,516 US consumers, found that “in response to tariffs, 50% cut purchases and 49% are actively seeking transactions and discounts.” When asked specifically about summer plans, many people said they still choose to travel, but otherwise they are cracking down on personal expenses.
Duleep Rodrigo, a consumer and retailer at KPMG, said in a statement in the report: “The holidays are still on budget, but almost everything else is in the chopping block.”
Trump’s tariff policies face many legal challenges in courts, and some judges call them illegal. However, on Thursday, the federal court of appeals temporarily suspended the ruling hours ago by a committee of judges that suspended some of the president’s tariffs on international trade partners.
They still hope to enjoy it during the summer as Americans are waiting for news of whether tariffs will continue to be imposed.
Patrice Labelle Lester, 29, is spending the next few months planning an October pledge celebration. But she’s become more modest on her budget.
For example, she said she found a way to order fake flowers that were being shipped from China without paying the extra charges caused by customs duties. Originally, the price was $300. With tariffs, they surged to around $1,700.
So the content creators have found another vendor willing to cover the costs of the tariffs so that Leicester can stay within their original budget. However, she said she was warned that there would be delays in receiving them as flowers must be shipped by cargo freight ships rather than airplanes. Leicester said she also wants to raise a family. In other words, you want to buy a new car in the summer.
“I know Trump said he’s just giving tax credits to people who buy American-made cars, but in this political situation it’s hard to support that,” said Leicester, who lives in San Antonio, Texas. “So it’s affecting me, and that’s because I’m a purchase I’d like to make in the next few months.”
For Becker, her spending had one unexpected turn of events. It’s about doing more activities that bring people together.
“A lot of people stock up on craft supplies for our various hobbies, myself included,” she said. “The silver lining in all of this means that if done right, we can build a community.”
