Poll Finds U.S. Consumers Pay Most of Tariff Costs, Contradicting White House Claims

A national poll found that 58% of registered voters believe U.S. consumers pay most of the cost of tariffs through higher prices. Phillip W. Magness, a senior fellow at the Independent Institute, stated that the poll confirms that Americans have correctly detected that tariffs on imports come from their own wallets. The White House, however, maintains that foreign exporters ultimately bear the cost of tariffs.

The poll challenges the economic premise consistently maintained by the White House regarding who absorbs the financial burden of import duties. Empirical literature has consistently found that upward of 90% of the tariff burden falls on the U.S. economy, according to Phillip W. Magness.