Ridiculous! Arizona Businesses Are Charging You MORE, Even Without Tariffs

I'm not sure if this is panic pricing or opportunity gouging. The Tariff Wars are yet another excuse for Arizona businesses to charge you more, even on goods that have nothing to do with tariffs. Because why not?

Brace yourself because, in all the tumult and uncertainty, this trend isn't going away anytime soon. Here's the kicker: you could be paying more for goods that aren't even subject to a tariff!

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You're Paying More for Goods That Aren't Subject to a Tariff

One of the best examples of this trend is what Walmart is doing to shoppers in Arizona. According to USAToday, the retail giant bumped up the price of their imported bananas.

The price jumped from 50 cents to 54 cents per pound, even though Costa Rica is supplying the fruit, and they're not embroiled in this tariff drama.

10 Items Will Skyrocket in Arizona Under Trump's Trade War

Walmart is also seeking a car seat made in China that has seen a meteoric price rise. The car seat in question used to cost $350 but will now set parents back an extra $100. All because, apparently, inflation isn't brutal enough already.

Why You're Paying More for Electronics and Groceries in Arizona

Then there's Best Buy, which is casually telling customers to expect price hikes across its entire selection of products. To a point, I get it. Most of their products are electronics and accessories, and a significant portion of them are manufactured in China.

Arizona farmers aren't being spared either. With bird flu now affecting major Arizona egg suppliers, add to that the inflated cost of fertilizers and pesticides, you'll excuse the expression, but farmers and ranchers are not in a position to eat the extra cost. That means our grocery bills are getting uglier, too. 

Arizona Faces Rising Egg Prices Amid Bird Flu Emergency

Advice to Businesses: "Just Eat the Cost" of Tariffs

Last month, President Trump responded to the retailers' pushback on tariff-induced price hikes. According to Forbes, the president told Walmart to just "EAT THE TARIFFS" by way of a Truth Social post. He advised Walmart not to charge consumers extra as the import taxes take effect.

Now, I'm no financial expert, but from a business perspective, I think we can agree that this is not a good deal. From the angle of the consumer, spreading out the cost so that everything costs us more is a racket. Arizona's consumers are the biggest losers in this equation.

Sources: Axios Phoenix | Fox 10 Phoenix | USA Today | Forbes