Posted on 04/12/2025 7:16:07 AM PDT by karpov
An extra fee is showing up on more shopping bills lately, and it carries a not-so-subtle message: These tariffs weren’t our idea.
From bathroom-fixture makers to toy shops, companies are starting to tack tariff surcharges onto invoices as a separate line item. Some are a $5 flat fee, while others represent as much as 40% of the subtotal. The tactic is a way to pass on at least some tariff costs to consumers—especially on Chinese-made goods, with levies totaling 145% since January—while passing the buck to President Trump.
“We think transparency is the way to go here, and I am giving Trump full credit for his decision to add this tariff to all American consumers,” said Ryan Babenzien, chief executive of Jolie, which sells high-end filtered shower heads. He plans to add a “Trump Liberation Tariff” to online orders in the coming weeks. Just how much, he said, depends on how the trade war develops and on Jolie’s tariff-cost calculations.
...
U.S. businesses with suppliers in China have deployed an array of moves to navigate the escalating trade war, front-loading inventory before the tariffs took effect, pressuring suppliers to absorb cost increases, and raising retail prices on products with bigger margins. Some, such as Jolie’s Babenzien, say it is important to spell out to consumers how tariffs will affect their budgets.
“I’m not sure the average person truly understands that this is going to cost them more money everywhere,” Babenzien said, adding that he is urging other business leaders to do the same.
Jolie’s shower heads and filter refills are made in China, and the tariffs have raised the company’s costs substantially, he said. Trump has said the new tariffs will spur more manufacturing in the U.S. and boost the economy.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Yawn 🥱🥱🥱
Anybody does that I’ll just walk away without buying.
Let the merchandise stack up.
Here AND in China. Fine by me.
Maybe they can eat it.
Guess I won’t buy those products if they are too expensive
You could always move to China to enjoy the low prices if that’s your main interest.
“ Jolie’s shower heads and filter refills are made in China, and the tariffs have raised the company’s costs substantially, he said”
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Hey, dirt ball, I’ve got an idea…. contract out production of your shower heads to a manufacturer in Vietnam or, horror of horrors, to an American manufacturer.
Or is that too much work for you.
I’m offended when I see my sense of humor directed back at me...
Pfffft...
I’ve never spent a penny on the Wall Street Journal so I’m not going to worry about it. I won’t have a subscription bill for them to add a tariff fee too.
“An extra fee is showing up on more shopping bills lately, and it carries a not-so-subtle message: These tariffs weren’t our idea.”
When I was in Washington State a while ago a restaurant quietly added a 3.5% “Living Wage Fee” to my bill. So I figured with that fee, the employees were being paid a “living wage” and therefore no need to tip.
They felt otherwise and started yelling at us...but too late.
The whining is becoming self-serving at this point.
I think most agree that the trajectory of the country needed to be changed and changed dramatically.
I would rather pay more right now and in the future, than have my grandchildren inherit a failed nation under the heel of China and other Asian states.
If you want to place blame, place it on the complete and utter morons who decided MMT was a viable solution to our country’s finances rather than a woke, unicorn idiocy.
He was hired to put this nation back on a course of prosperity for all. A government that works for, we the people once again, and stop politically weaponizing agencies, as well as, get rid of the criminality & corruption.
Oh, pull your head out.
Stores have a right to charge whatever they want under most circumstances. If they choose to mark it up and call it a tariff impact in order to sustain their anti-DJT politics, that is their right. Just like it is their right to support grooming (like Chic-fil-A) or DEI (like Costco).
If you don’t like those prices go elsewhere. If all prices go up everywhere, well suck it up, snowflake. That is the “price” of giving your neighbor a job in a factory instead of supporting him via unemployment $$.
Actually I think that’s a good idea if those surcharges truly reflect the cost of tariffs.
That way people are made aware of who’s actually paying for the tariffs. Most people have no clue.
The flip side of tariffs is that they would eventually create more domestic jobs and possibly higher wages. But that will take time.
Can we do this for the Income Tax and 0bamacare too?
Or is it just leftist whining?
It’s unbelievable how far wall street journal has fallen. this isn’t news, it’s fairytale of garbage of (IT MIGHT HAPPEN). They used to have a good reputation, not today. We heard no stories like this when we were suffering under that Biden 20% inflation and when they SHUT DOWN A WHOLE STINKING ECONOMY AND put citizens basically under HOUSE ARREST. Never ever forget that whenever you hear the garbage they put out on President Trump. He’s been 1000 times better for us and our country.
Gee, I don’t think I heard barely a peep from Trump about tariffs during his 2 year campaign for the presidency. Did you Karpov?
Yeah WSJ is nothing but Democrat / Uniparty propaganda anymore
Same with all of the other rags that have outed themselves
I have absolutely no sympathy for American businesses that chose to deal with the CCP. It’s not only bad for the American worker, but the services of the Chinese include slave labor and other crimes against humanity. But people need their sneakers and Tonka toys!
Considering the supply train from manufacturer to retailer is there any product on the shelf today that paid a tariff (that President Trump put on it)?
Oh no, the price of crap from an enemy state has just gone up.
Here’s a hint: don’t subsidize an enemy state by buying their crap.
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