Due to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies imposed on major trading partners, local companies are responding by depleting pre-imported inventory.
According to the AP News on the 2nd (local time), the Yale University Budget Research Institute in the U.S. predicted that Trump's tariff policies would reduce the purchasing power of an average American household by $1,000 to $1,200 annually (approximately 1.47 million to 1.76 million KRW).
Gregory Daco of the accounting firm EY forecasted that inflation would rise by 0.4 percentage points from 2.9% as of December last year.
He expected that due to tariffs reducing consumer spending and corporate investment, the U.S. economy, which grew by 2.8% last year, would turn to negative growth, shrinking by 1.5% this year and 2.6% next year, respectively.
U.S. companies are contemplating countermeasures to these market changes. Some companies, including those in the construction sector, are reported to be holding on by first depleting their stockpiled inventory.
William Reinsch of the U.S. think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said many companies have pre-imported goods to avoid tariffs, and these companies could sell off inventory over several weeks to months, thereby delaying the pain for consumers.
Supermarkets distributing perishable goods such as agricultural products are expected to be affected by tariff policies more quickly than other industries.
Rod Sbragia, an agricultural product seller in Arizona, said that tariffs imposed on imported agricultural products would force distribution companies to close, which would also negatively impact American consumers.
The National Retail Federation (NRF), representing major U.S. retailers such as Walmart and Target, pointed out, "As long as universal tariffs exist, Americans will have to pay higher prices for everyday consumer goods."
Concerns have also been raised about production delays due to increased import costs of parts and additional procedures. Colin Shaw, chairman of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA), stated that if even a single part is not supplied, it is impossible to manufacture not only the main components but the entire vehicle.
Earlier, the U.S. government decided to impose universal tariffs of 25% on Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% on China starting from the 4th.
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