{"id":126925,"date":"2025-09-26T20:00:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T20:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/2025\/09\/26\/scary-halloween-prices-and-more-ways-tariffs-are-haunting-americans\/"},"modified":"2025-09-29T18:48:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T18:48:58","slug":"scary-halloween-prices-and-more-ways-tariffs-are-haunting-americans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/2025\/09\/26\/scary-halloween-prices-and-more-ways-tariffs-are-haunting-americans\/","title":{"rendered":"Scary Halloween Prices And More Ways Tariffs Are Haunting Americans"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8864793242727901\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>More tariffs are planned, including a 100 percent import tax on pharmaceuticals, dealing another dose of uncertainty to consumers already struggling with higher prices<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>President Trump said Thursday on his social media site that he will also impose import taxes of 50 percent on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30 percent on upholstered furniture, and 25 percent on heavy trucks, starting on Oct. 1.<\/p>\n<p>The new tariffs would come on top of the<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/tariffs\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"> trade frameworks and import taxes<\/a> that were launched in August.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentBlocks_CardDetail__SubscribeBlock__4zBcQ ContentBlocks_CardDetail__SubscribeBlock--mobile__18tT_\">\n<section class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__0dj5n\">\n<h2 class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__title__F_olP\">Find out what&#8217;s happening in Across America<span class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__title--nextLine__FTO3K\">for free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>If Trump follows through, the new tariffs would take effect before the Supreme Court decides the legality of the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The court agreed to an expedited review of a lower court decision that found most of the tariffs to be illegal. Oral arguments are set for November. <\/p>\n<p>Trump said on Truth Social that the 100 percent tariffs wouldn\u2019t be imposed on pharmaceutical companies that are building manufacturing plants in the United States, which he defined as either \u201cbreaking ground\u201d or being \u201cunder construction.\u201d It was unclear how the tariffs would apply to companies that already have factories in the United States.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentBlocks_CardDetail__SubscribeBlock__4zBcQ ContentBlocks_CardDetail__SubscribeBlock--desktop__oN6vv\">\n<section class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__0dj5n\">\n<h2 class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__title__F_olP\">Find out what&#8217;s happening in Across America<span class=\"styles_SubscribeForm__title--nextLine__FTO3K\">for free with the latest updates from Patch.<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>According to the White House, the threat of tariffs earlier this year contributed to many major pharmaceutical companies, including Johnson &#038; Johnson, AstraZeneca, Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly, among others, to announce investments in U.S. production.<\/p>\n<p>The import tax on pharmaceuticals could double the costs of some medicines. In 2024, the United States imported nearly $233 billion in pharmaceutical and medicinal products, according to the Census Bureau. The prospect of prices doubling could send another shock wave to consumers, who are already facing potential increases in the costs of Medicare and Medicaid.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<figure><figcaption>President Donald Trump holds charts as he speaks about the economy in the Oval Office of the White House on Aug. 7 in Washington. (AP Photo\/Mark Schiefelbein, file)<\/figcaption>The threat of new tariffs comes as a majority of Americans are growing weary of trade wars.<\/figure>\n<p>An <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/poll-trump-economy-approval-immigration-border-crime-373766302cde6d45624d6bb738b16231\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll<\/a> released Wednesday found about 6 in 10 U.S. adults said Trump has \u201cgone too far\u201d when it comes to imposing new tariffs on other countries. That includes about 9 in 10 Democrats, 6 in 10 independents and 3 in 10 Republicans. The poll said very few Americans, including Republicans, want Trump to go further in imposing tariffs.<\/p>\n<p>About half of all Americans said the cost of groceries is a \u201cmajor\u201d source of stress in their life, while 33 percent said it was a \u201cminor\u201d cause, according to an earlier <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ap.org\/news-highlights\/spotlights\/2025\/the-vast-majority-of-us-adults-are-stressed-about-grocery-costs-an-ap-norc-poll-finds\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">AP-NORC poll<\/a>. Only 14 percent said the high cost was not a source of stress, underscoring <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/inflation-groceries-budgeting-prices-food-b94501d306adeb3b3dc7fbc171d0fe10\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">the pervasive anxiety<\/a> most Americans continue to feel about the cost of everyday essentials.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<h3>Coffee Jumps 21%<\/h3>\n<p>Some grocery staples have seen double-digit year-over-year increases, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/cpi\/#:~:text=20250924091354-,Handbook%20Of%20Methods,August%202024%20to%20August%202025\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">August inflation report<\/a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.<\/p>\n<p>For example, coffee prices jumped 21 percent compared to the same month last year, the largest annual increase since October 1997. Coffee prices rose 4 percent from July, the most in 14 years.<\/p>\n<p>Virtually all the coffee consumed in the United States is imported, with only a tiny fraction, 1 percent, coming from Hawaii and Puerto Rico. About a third of the coffee consumed in the United States comes from Brazil, which pays a 50 percent duty on imports.<\/p>\n<p>About 90 percent of avocados Americans eat come from Mexico, according to the USDA. Tariffs accounted for a 55 percent year-over-year increase in their cost. <\/p>\n<p>Other staples costing more than they did last year are beer (up 13 percent), hot dog buns (up 34 percent), paper plates (up 15 percent) and tomatoes (up 4 percent).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>Ground beef costs about 13 percent more than it did at this time last year, but tariffs aren\u2019t the only reason. With the U.S. cattle inventory at a multi-decade low, Mexico has been a consistent supplier of feeder calves. But in May, the USDA suspended imports of live cattle in May to prevent the New World screwworm from spreading to the United States. The flesh-eating parasite poses a significant threat to cattle.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, August inflation data showed consumer prices increased 2.9 percent, up from 2.7 percent the previous month and the biggest jump since January.<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" data-image=\"790386-1758916072\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/patch.com\/img\/cdn20\/shutterstock\/790386\/20250926\/034751\/styles\/raw\/public\/processed_images\/shutterstock_2460378631.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 780px) 726px, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/patch.com\/img\/cdn20\/shutterstock\/790386\/20250926\/034751\/styles\/raw\/public\/processed_images\/shutterstock_2460378631.jpg?width=640 640w, https:\/\/patch.com\/img\/cdn20\/shutterstock\/790386\/20250926\/034751\/styles\/raw\/public\/processed_images\/shutterstock_2460378631.jpg?width=726 726w\"\/><figcaption>About a third of the coffee consumed in the United States is grown in Brazil, whose goods are subject to a 50 percent tariff. (Shutterstock\/Alf Ribeiro)<\/figcaption>Consumers Are Still Spending<\/h3>\n<p>The Commerce Department reported Friday that its <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/retail-sales-economy-11e40d9b98461fee52f5db2455f0e7e1\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">personal consumption expenditures<\/a> (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve\u2019s favored inflation gauge, was up 2.7 percent in August from a year earlier, a tick higher from a 2.6 percent year-over-year increase in July and most since February.<\/p>\n<p>Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core PCE inflation showed a 2.9 percent increase in prices from August 2024, the same as in July. The increases were what forecasters had expected.<\/p>\n<p>Separately, the report showed that inflation-adjusted consumer spending rose a healthy 0.4 percent from July, the same as the month before, largely on a 0.7 increase in spending for goods; spending on services such as travel and dining out rose just 0.2 percent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cThe resilience of the U.S. consumer was on show once again,\u201d Michael Pearce of Oxford Economics wrote, though he cautioned that spending \u201cis being driven by households at the top of the income distribution.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Census Bureau\u2019s August <a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/retail\/marts\/www\/marts_current.pdf?#:~:text=SEPTEMBER%2016%2C%202025-,ADVANCE%20MONTHLY%20SALES%20FOR%20RETAIL%20AND%20FOOD%20SERVICES%2C%20AUGUST%202025,at%208:30%20a.m.%20EDT.\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">U.S. Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey<\/a> showed a stronger than expected increase in retail and food spending to an estimated $732 billion in August. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is further evidence that we shouldn\u2019t underestimate the strength of the consumer,\u201d Bankrate senior industry analyst Ted Rossman wrote in a note after the mid-September retail report. \u201cBack-to-school shopping was a key theme in August, as evidenced by the strong clothing and electronics sales.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Big Stores Wait It Out<\/h3>\n<p>So far, businesses are mostly absorbing the costs, but that could be changing.<\/p>\n<p>Major retailers, including Walmart, Macy\u2019s and Best Buy, recently reported their quarterly results, underscoring that shoppers are still buying, but are choosy. Some have raised prices, but many have described the hikes as modest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>Shoppers haven\u2019t felt the big sting as some economists predicted earlier in the year, as many retailers ordered goods ahead of tariffs and absorbed a big chunk of the costs as they came in, worried about passing on any hefty price increases.<\/p>\n<p>The price gains have also been gradual enough to mute changes in consumer behavior, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told analysts last month.<\/p>\n<p>But Walmart and others said they expect to see costs increase as they replenish inventory at post-tariff levels.<\/p>\n<p>Jewelry maker Pandora hasn\u2019t announced specific price increases, but Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik said in a call with analysts last month that the company is monitoring the scenario.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe U.S. consumer will eventually have to bear the brunt of these tariffs,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just on jewelry, it\u2019s on many product categories. So the big question mark is, what happens with inflation in the U.S., unemployment rates, all sorts of other macro drivers, and I think this is ahead of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>Matt Priest, president and CEO of trade group Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, told reporters Monday that members are starting to pass along price increases to shoppers. Its members had previously paid a total of $3 billion in tariffs annually for years; that number is now on track to hit $5 billion by year-end. He warned that women\u2019s shoes will be affected first.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWomen\u2019s shoes are more fashion-oriented,\u201d Priest said. \u201cOur ability to front-load women\u2019s product based on fashion trends was limited, and so we are seeing that those increases start to hit consumers first.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><img decoding=\"async\" data-image=\"790386-1758916596\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/patch.com\/img\/cdn20\/shutterstock\/790386\/20250926\/035636\/styles\/raw\/public\/processed_images\/shutterstock_2085425803.jpg\" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 780px) 726px, 100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/patch.com\/img\/cdn20\/shutterstock\/790386\/20250926\/035636\/styles\/raw\/public\/processed_images\/shutterstock_2085425803.jpg?width=640 640w, https:\/\/patch.com\/img\/cdn20\/shutterstock\/790386\/20250926\/035636\/styles\/raw\/public\/processed_images\/shutterstock_2085425803.jpg?width=726 726w\"\/><figcaption>Shoe prices are going up as a result of tariffs, according to an industry trade group. (Shutterstock)<\/figcaption>Scary Halloween Prices Greet Shoppers<\/h3>\n<p>Consumers shopping for Halloween are also seeing a bump in prices, largely due to the high volume of costumes and decorations that are imported from China, which is subject to higher import taxes.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hiaonline.org\/news\/698973\/Press-Release---Tariffs-Threaten-to-Cancel-Halloween-and-Cripple-Christma\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Halloween and Costume Association<\/a> warned earlier this year the tariffs could cause costumes that previously had a retail cost of $19.99 to jump to $39.99. Even a simple mask, once priced at $4.99, could jump to $9.99, and at double the price, many consumers simply won\u2019t buy, the trade group said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is an existential moment for our industry,\u201d HCA board member Robert Merman, president of Rasta Imposta\/Imposta Costumes, a leading U.S. costume manufacturer, said in a statement. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>\u201cHalloween isn\u2019t like other holidays. If products don\u2019t land on time or become too expensive for families, Halloween simply doesn\u2019t happen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the tariffs, consumers are expected to spend a record $13.1 billion this season on Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nrf.com\/research-insights\/holiday-data-and-trends\/halloween\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">annual consumer survey<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>The projected spending is up from $11.6 billion last year and the previous record of $12.2 billion, set in 2023. Tariffs are part of the reason consumers to pay more at the checkout.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEven with concerns about price increases due to tariffs, Halloween continues to resonate with consumers of all ages,\u201d Katherine Cullen, the Retail Federation\u2019s vice president of industry and consumer insights, said in a statement. \u201cWhether it\u2019s dressing in costume or carving a pumpkin, more consumers plan to take part in Halloween activities and traditions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The retail industry trade group has been a vocal critic of the tariffs, saying small- and medium-sized businesses are <a href=\"https:\/\/nrf.com\/nrfcom\/blog\/sweeping-global-tariffs-represent-a-new-challenge-for-small-retailers\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">disproportionately affected<\/a> by the import taxes, with <a href=\"https:\/\/nrf.com\/nrfcom\/blog\/small-retailers-react-threat-new-tariffs\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">many saying<\/a> they will have to raise prices or shut down. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<h3>\u2018Tipping Point\u2019 For Small Businesses<\/h3>\n<p>Small businesses are experiencing the impact of tariffs more quickly than larger corporations, according to Scott Lincicome, vice president of economics and trade at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank based in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt only takes a small shift to ruin what was otherwise a profitable enterprise,\u201d Lincicome told Minnesota Public Radio\u2019s \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/story\/2025\/09\/16\/some-small-businesses-have-run-out-the-tariff-clock\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Marketplace<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe tariffs are that kind of tipping point,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Large corporations leverage their size to negotiate better deals with manufacturers and suppliers; can afford lobbyists and lawyers to challenge tax policies; and have the financial resources to wait and see how the Supreme Court rules before making any decisions, Lincicome said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a real dichotomy that\u2019s opened up between the haves and the have-nots when it comes to tariffs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>One of the have-nots is Nicole Panettieri, who is closing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrassowl.com\/service\/the-tiny-owl\/\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">The Tiny Owl<\/a>, a children\u2019s store in New York City, at the end of October. The store is navigating multiple challenges, including a rent increase and competition from a nearby Target store, which the store has survived in the past, but tariffs have increased her costs by 20 percent, she told \u201cMarketplace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That means items at the lowest price point that once sold for $8 have gone up to $10 or $15. Panettieri said she has gradually noticed more people putting the items back after looking at the price sticker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m a small business,\u201d said Panettieri, who will focus on her women\u2019s boutique down the street when The Tiny Owl closes. \u201cI don\u2019t have investors. This is my life savings.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ben Knepler, co-founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/trueplaces.com\/?srsltid=AfmBOooSkB24Lj0_k-cNG_7Hud7D4nOO9E6AZ_gB6St27prM5WWEJmjo\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">True Places<\/a>, a Pennsylvania company that makes outdoor portable chairs in Cambodia, told \u201cMarketplace\u201d the seesawing tariffs have made it impossible to do business. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe tariff rate on our products has gone from 0 percent to 49 percent to 10 percent to 36 percent to 19 percent,\u201d he said, explaining the up and down tariff rates drained his company\u2019s bank account. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k\">\n<p>The tariff rates <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/01\/business\/economy\/cambodia-tariffs-trump.html\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">jumping up and down<\/a> have drained the company of money. Knepler doesn\u2019t have enough to pay the tariffs on the next shipment. So he\u2019s halted production. They\u2019re not making more new chairs, and he only has a handful left in stock. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust from a business survival and cashflow perspective it\u2019s incredibly difficult, so we\u2019re not sure what we\u2019re going to do,\u201d said Knepler, who is considering only selling the chairs internationally to avoid the tariffs altogether. \u201cWe literally cannot afford to bring our own product into our own market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>The Associated Press contributed reporting.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Also On Patch<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"styles_HTMLContent__LDG2k SubscribeCTABlurb_SubscribeCTABlurb__M_Azu\">Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox.<!-- --> <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/patch.com\/subscribe\" class=\"\">Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"http:\/\/patch.com\/us\/across-america\/scary-halloween-prices-more-ways-tariffs-are-haunting-americans?utm_source=article-mostrecent&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_term=seasonal%20%26%20holidays&#038;utm_campaign=recirc&#038;utm_content=aol\">Source link <\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>More tariffs are planned, including a 100 percent import tax on pharmaceuticals, dealing another dose of uncertainty to consumers already struggling with higher prices President Trump said Thursday on his&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":126926,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126925"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126927,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126925\/revisions\/126927"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}