Verified data confirms American households paid $1,300–$1,700 more for everyday goods in 2025 due to tariff policies. Lower-income families bear a disproportionately higher burden.
Since early 2025, a series of broad tariff increases have added significant costs to imported goods entering the United States. Tariffs are taxes paid by American importers — and those costs are passed directly to consumers at the register.
According to the Yale Budget Lab's April 2026 tracking report, the effective tariff rate on imported consumer goods reached 13.1% in January 2026, up from a 2022–2024 average of roughly 2.7%. The U.S. Joint Economic Committee estimates that American families have already paid more than $1,700 each in tariff-related costs since the current administration took office.
The Tax Foundation calculates the 2026 tariffs amount to an average tax increase of $700 per U.S. household, and notes they have not meaningfully altered the trade deficit — the stated goal of the policy.
Lower-income families bear a disproportionately higher burden. Because households with lower incomes spend a larger share of their earnings on goods (as opposed to services), the percentage impact of tariff-driven price increases is greater for them than for higher-income households.
A CNBC survey published April 10, 2026 found that 56% of Americans say everyday life has become less affordable over the past year. CBS News price tracking data shows that all food now costs approximately 19.7% more than it did in January 2022.