Washington, D.C. — As Americans head into the holiday season, a new column from the Center for American Progress dives deeper into how President Donald Trump’s tariffs are driving up prices for families. Many of the goods most affected by the Trump administration’s tariffs are items Americans often purchase during the holiday shopping period, including clothing, jewelry, personal care items, food, toys, and everyday household items.
“While the Trump administration claimed foreign countries would pay for tariffs, American families are the ones footing the bill,” said Emily Gee, senior vice president for Economic Policy at CAP. “Whether it’s gifts for family and friends or food on the table, Trump’s tariffs are pushing prices higher and draining family budgets.”
The analysis finds that in addition to inflation, tariffs are increasing prices on popular holiday items, relative to their pre-tariff trends between October 2024 and March 2025. From March to November 2025:
- Clothing accessories, such as hats, scarves, gloves, and belts, increased by 15.1 percent.
- Coffee, tea, and cocoa increased by 9.2 percent.
- Jewelry and watches increased by 8 percent.
- Household tools, such as electric tools, hand tools, lawn mowers, and other gardening equipment, increased by 6.2 percent.
- Meat, including turkey, ham, and roast beef, increased by 6.2 percent.
- Household appliances, such as air fryers, rice cookers, coffee machines, refrigerators, and more, increased by 5.6 percent.
- Fruits of all varieties increased by 5.5 percent.
- Household essentials for everyday use and hosting holiday guests, such as detergents, cleaning supplies, garbage bags, and household paper products, increased by 4.7 percent.
- Personal care products, such as hair-styling tools, makeup, and perfume, increased by 4.1 percent.
- Bread, pasta, and cereals increased by 1.7 percent.
- Games and toys, including game consoles, video games, toys of all kinds, and board games, increased by nearly 1 percent.
Earlier this year, many retailers temporarily shielded consumers in 2025 by absorbing tariff costs, stockpiling inventory during tariff pauses, or shifting costs to other products. But these strategies are time-limited. With the Trump administration signaling that tariffs will remain in place, households should expect even higher prices next year.
Read the analysis: “The Trump Administration’s Tariffs Are a Hidden Holiday Tax” by Jazmine Amoako
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Christian Unkenholz at [email protected].