Help power Marketplace this winter when you support the show today. Donate Now!

Tariff jump could mean higher prices at Walmart, but not immediately

Ben Bradford May 20, 2019
HTML EMBED:
COPY
Shoppers wait in line at a Walmart store in Los Angeles. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Tariff jump could mean higher prices at Walmart, but not immediately

Ben Bradford May 20, 2019
Shoppers wait in line at a Walmart store in Los Angeles. Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Walmart imports a lot of goods from China, but the world’s largest retailer has said U.S. tariffs have had limited effect on the company and consumers thus far. Walmart said in February that its supply costs had jumped more than 3%, but it kept prices mostly flat for its consumers.

That relatively sanguine message could change when the company holds its latest earnings call on Thursday morning. Analysts and the retail industry say an increase of tariffs on many Chinese imports from 10% to 25%, plus another round of tariffs proposed for this summer, will ultimately reach consumers, even if it takes a year.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.