Trump's tariffs cost American households $1,000 last year: Research group
President Donald Trump's tariffs cost the average American household $1,000 last year, according to new research from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.
The cost is set to go even higher this year to $1,300 per household, assuming the existing tariffs stay in place, the research said.
The research called Trump's tariffs "the largest U.S. tax increase as a percent of GDP since 1993." It suggests the president's signature economic policy is exacerbating cost of living concerns at a time when many households are grappling with persistently high prices.
According to the research think tank Tax Foundation, the federal government collected $264 billion in total tariff revenues in 2025 -- far short of the trillions regularly touted by the White House. The research also finds the tariffs will offset most of the economic benefits of the new tax cuts from Trump's signature tax law that took effect this year.
"America's average tariff rate has increased by nearly tenfold in the past year -- while inflation has actually cooled, real wages have risen, GDP growth has accelerated, and trillions in investments continue pouring in to make and hire in America," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement to ABC News.
Tariffs, which fluctuated through 2025 as the U.S. struck trade deals, primarily affected the cost of electronics, toys and cars that aren't manufactured domestically and foods that are grown abroad. The price of coffee rose by 33.6%, ground beef by 19.3%, romaine lettuce by 16.8% and frozen orange juice by 12.4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Tax Foundation data shows the average effective tariff rate in the U.S. has surged from around 2% in 2024 to roughly 10% in 2025, the highest since 1946. The most recent government data shows the annual inflation rate in December was 2.7%, roughly the same rate as when Trump took office.
