As Trump tariffs arrive, companies brace for more uncertainty

Yahoo

04-03-2025

By David Gaffen
(Reuters) - Business executives have been in a state of limbo over Donald Trump's fluctuating plans to impose major tariffs since he took office in January. Tuesday's announcement does not end that uncertainty.
U.S. President Trump announced Tuesday he would impose 25% tariffs on the nation's two largest trade partners, Canada and Mexico, a move that economists expect will add to costs for U.S. companies that will bear the cost of those tariffs.
The prospect of major levies on foreign imports has dominated corporate America's discussions this year. Since the beginning of 2025, more than 750 of the largest U.S. companies have discussed the topic either at investor events or on earnings conference calls, according to LSEG data.
In recent weeks some companies raced to get ahead of tariffs with pre-ordering of goods, but executives have until now been taking a wait-and-see approach on investments and expenditures, as Trump has altered his plans for tariffs several times since re-taking office.
While Tuesday's announcement adds some clarity, it isn't the end of the story. Trump has already promised additional tariffs on the European Union and investigations into copper and lumber imports that result in levies on those goods. In addition, other nations have vowed retaliation after trying to negotiate with Trump that could threaten global trade further.
"The uncertainty continues," said David Young, an executive with the Conference Board, a global business group. "There are decisions being postponed and delayed ... there very much is a degree of paralysis."
Executives have tried to assuage investors that they will be able to mitigate or pass on the additional costs, but some have also expressed their frustration with the White House's numerous shifts on policy.
"As regards tariffs, I think your guess is good as mine. Things keep on changing day by day," Hilton Schlosberg, co-CEO of Monster Beverage, told analysts on a company earnings call on February 27.
UNDERMINING CONFIDENCE
The uncertainty has undermined business and consumer confidence in recent weeks, after initially improving after Trump's re-election. The ISM Manufacturing Index, a major index of manufacturer sentiment, showed a sharp spike in inflation expectations in February, with suppliers citing tariffs numerous times.
U.S. consumer confidence fell to an eight-month low in February as inflation expectations spiked. Major retailers Walmart and Lowe's warned of slower demand.
"It's uncertainty that's kind of fueling customer angst," Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost told investors. "That's the thing that we want to move past. We want to move to certainty (in) policy ... uncertainty is not something that our customers want to work through."
In Trump's first term, he concentrated on combating what his administration viewed as predatory behavior by China in the world trade market. He has already imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese goods, with an additional 10% set for Tuesday, and is threatening port entry fees on Chinese-built ships.
But he has also taken aim at Canada and Mexico to address his charges that they have not tried to deal with cross-border fentanyl smuggling or migrant immigration.
The United States imports $900 billion of goods a year from Canada and Mexico. The three countries have highly integrated supply chains in the automotive industry, where parts can cross borders several times in the manufacturing process, and substantial cross-border trade in industrial goods, aerospace, agriculture and energy.
Trump's advisors and supporters have said their goal is to bring more manufacturing to the United States to reduce the country's record trade deficit.
"While (they are) inflationary and might hurt in the short term, tariffs are going to be good for American jobs in the long run," said Justus Parmar, CEO of Fortuna Investments.
Some companies have said they could shift some manufacturing to the United States, including Honda and Pfizer, but that could add to costs. Others pre-ordered in January in advance of heavy tariffs, but suppliers interviewed by Reuters say that's a short-term strategy at best, as they would prefer not to hold extra inventories due to uncertainty around demand.
"It's a tremendous waste of resources," said Pat D'Eramo, chief executive of Canadian auto supplier Martinrea. "I'd much rather be working on ways to reduce my costs so we can be more competitive."
(Reporting By David Gaffen; additional reporting by Kalea Hall in Detroit and Seher Dareen in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson and Nick Zieminski)