Pro Login

New York Fed: Americans Paid 90% Of Tariff Costs In 2025

A stylized illustration of a cylindrical cup with blue arrows and lines indicating a swirling or rotational motion inside the cup.
Briefs Finance
Published Feb 12, 2026
Share:
A grocery bag with a red dollar sign contains bread, lettuce, bananas, eggs, wine, and packaged foods on a kitchen counter—highlighting the tariff costs Americans face daily. "BriefsFinance" logo appears in the corner.
Summary:
  • Americans paid the price. U.S. businesses and consumers covered nearly 90% of tariff costs in 2025, not foreign companies.
  • Your wallet took a hit. The average household paid $1,000 extra in 2025, climbing to $1,300 in 2026.
  • Revenue's way up. The government collected $287 billion in tariffs for 2025, nearly triple the previous year.

The New York Fed just dropped a report and it turns out American businesses and consumers paid nearly 90% of tariff costs in 2025.

They also broke it down month by month. From January through August, U.S. importers ate 94% of the cost. By November it "improved" to 86%.

The Real Cost Per Household

Here's where it hits home. The Tax Foundation crunched household numbers and found tariffs cost the average American family $1,000 in 2025.

That number's climbing to $1,300 in 2026 if nothing changes.

Taxes are around the corner - your tax refund might go up a grand, but tariffs already took it back.

How Big Did Tariffs Get?

The average U.S. tariff rate jumped from under 3% to 13% in 2025. That's the highest rate since 1946.

The government collected $287 billion in tariff revenue for 2025, up 192% from the previous year.

And the money keeps rolling in. Through January 2026, the year-to-date total hit $124 billion, up 304% from the same period in fiscal 2025.

What The White House Says

The administration's position? Foreign companies pay most of it.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai told CBS News that tariff rates went up nearly sevenfold while "inflation has cooled and corporate profits have increased".

The New York Fed report says otherwise.

The Supreme Court Wild Card

None of this might even stick. The Supreme Court's about to rule on whether Trump had the legal authority to impose these tariffs under emergency powers law.

If the Court strikes them down? The government could owe businesses $168 billion in refunds.

Until then, you're still paying.

Disclosure

Get Market Briefs delivered to your inbox every morning for free!

Market briefs opt-in (#63)
No fluff. No noise. No politics. Just finance news you can read in 5 minutes.

Blogs

March 26, 2026
ETF vs Mutual Fund - What's the Difference and Which One Should You Pick?

Investing is not a one size fits all approach. Some […]

Read More
March 26, 2026
Nuclear Energy Stocks: Why Smart Money Is Betting on AI's Power Problem

Everyone with an internet connection is using AI to better […]

Read More
March 26, 2026
What Is a Stock Symbol? Real Examples & How To Find One

You just opened your first brokerage account and you’re ready […]

Read More
March 25, 2026
SNDK Stock: The AI Play Most Investors Forgot About

Everyone knows AI needs chips. For a while, investment dollars […]

Read More
March 25, 2026
What Is a 401k? Here's What You Actually Need to Know

When you get your first, “real” job, it often comes […]

Read More
March 25, 2026
Call vs. Put Options: What's the Difference and How Do They Work?

Most investors hear the word "options" and picture a Wall […]

Read More
March 24, 2026
What Is Financial Literacy? The Real Skills That Build Wealth

Most of us grew up being taught the same thing: […]

Read More
March 24, 2026
How to Invest in Gold - 3 Simple Ways to Get Started

Gold has been around longer than any stock market, any […]

Read More
March 24, 2026
What Is a Dividend? What Beginner Investors Need To Know

Most people think the only way to make money in […]

Read More
March 24, 2026
What Time Does the Stock Market Open?

The stock market is like any other business - it’s […]

Read More
1 2 3 15
Share via
Copy link