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Apples are for sale as people shop for produce at a grocery store in New York, New York, USA, 09 April 2025. Photo:VCG

As the US government began imposing substantial tariffs globally, American businesses across industries have been making corresponding responses. These changes have sparked a wave of "tariff cost accounts" online, with many US netizens sharing their bills to calculate exactly how much extra they are paying due to the reckless imposition of tariffs.

For instance, an X user Brian Krassenstein who has over 886,000 followers, posted on April 8 a photo screenshot of an order from a clothing company, which shows that clothing stores now have a tariff surcharge line item. "This is the new norm in the Trump economy," he said. The review order shows for an order total of $411.71, the tariff surcharge stood at $44.09, approximately around 10 percent of the total amount. 

As of press time, the post had around 8,100 comments and 6.1 million views. 

Krassenstein wrote in the post that "I commend any companies who do this. Transparency is good and at least we know why our prices went up."   

Another X user Amber Watson Tardiff posted on Wednesday, saying she just had the first online order with a tariff surcharge. "I was told these tariff charges would fill the coffers of the treasury for my benefit. Why am I paying this then? Where do I submit for reimbursement @SecScottBessent?" the user wrote while asking the US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent. 

Tardiff shared a photo of the tariff surcharge along the post, which showed a tariff surcharge of $6.12 for an order subtotal of $89.95. 

Another X user showed a photo of her order summary, which showed a tariff surcharge of $15.82 for an order totaling $290.6. "Here I am just adding things to my cart and then I see this 'tariff surcharge' and it's happening … It has started," the user wrote on Thursday. 

Some companies are imposing tariffs on products and services as a result of the trade wars, while others are taking a wait-and-see attitude, US media Quartz reported on Tuesday. 

The report noted that a recent survey of 400 US CEOs, CFOs, and CROs performed by research firm Zalliant and shared with Quartz before its release shows the real-time business impact of the latest tariff news. 

According to the survey, 44 percent of businesses plan to pass increased costs to customers as a result of recent tariff changes.

For instance, US memory chipmaker Micron Technology has told US customers it plans to impose a surcharge on some products from Wednesday to account for the new tariffs, Reuters reported, citing four sources familiar with the matter.

In recent weeks, consumers have reportedly rushed to increase their purchases of everything from clothing and electronics to cars and furniture, fearing that the costs of goods will jump sharply once tariffs fully take hold. 

"Definitely more people coming into store look to buy TV and electronics to beat the tariff increase," San Francisco Bay Area-based Best Buy's sales consultant Van was quoted saying in a Xinhua report. 

Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times in a previous interview that the tariffs may affect product quality of imported goods for US consumers as merchants may switch import origins due to rising costs.

Global Times