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According to a recent survey, nearly 70% of shoppers say tariffs influenced their shopping decisions, including buying more American-made products.
The survey of U.S. adults was conducted from January 10 to 14 before the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on February 20 -- a ruling that determined President Donald Trump’s broad tariff rates on U.S. trade partners enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, was illegal.
The president has vowed to continue his tariff-driven trade policy through other methods.
The survey of U.S. adults, from e-commerce marketing platform Omnisend, found 57.5% report making a conscious effort to buy more U.S.-made products over the past year, including 32% indicating they now stick to U.S.-based sellers. About a quarter (23.4%) actively avoid ordering from international sellers, although 21.1% will shop internationally if duties are shown upfront -- and 36.1% still order internationally when prices are significantly lower.
The apparent shopper behavior shifts come despite Americans appearing to become more comfortable living with tariffs. Among survey respondents, 46% of Americans say they support tariffs on imported goods, up from 34% from a survey taken a year ago. More than half (54%) of Americans earning over $100,000 per year support tariffs, while 42% of those earning under $75,000 per year support them.
Still, 56% of overall respondents believe consumers ultimately bear the cost through higher prices.
“Consumers aren’t confused about tariffs -- they know exactly where the cost shows up, and it’s on the receipt,” said Marty Bauer, e-commerce expert at Omnisend. “The survey showed that instead of simply shopping less to save money, people are shopping differently. They’re looking for fewer surprises, clearer pricing, and sellers they trust -- and increasingly, that means choosing domestic options whenever they can.”
Tariffs Aren't the Only Factor Driving Inflation, Price Hikes Facing Consumers
The survey comes as consumers continue to also feel the impact of price hikes in the earlier part of the decade, attributed in large part to the supply chain disruption tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and labor shortages.
U.S. annual inflation eased to 2.7% by the end of 2025, showing a gradual downward trend from as high as 7% in 2021 and 6.5% in 2022, though it remained above the Federal Reserve's 2% goal.
In January, overall inflation unexpectedly eased to 2.4% in January as a modest increase in food prices were offset by declines in energy costs.
Many retailers and vendors found ways to reduce or absorbed the costs of tariffs in 2025, but have been signaling on recent earnings calls that price increases are inevitable given tariff pressures.
On its fourth-quarter earnings call, Walmart said that inflation for general merchandise — or the prices it charges consumers for products like electronics and appliances — rose more than 3%, up from 1.7% between July and September. Walmart CFO John David Rainey told analysts, “We've worked hard to mitigate grocery inflation as tariff-related costs lifted prices across many categories.”
In a note on February 23, economists at Goldman Sachs stated that while the Supreme Court ruling created a potential $180 billion opportunity for U.S. companies to seek refunds for import taxes paid during 2025 and early 2026, prices are unlikely to meaningfully fall anytime soon. Goldman Sachs estimated that tariffs added a 0.7% increase in inflation over 10 months, and levies are expected to add another 0.1% in 2026.
“We would not expect companies to lower prices in response to tariff reductions nearly as quickly as they increased them in response to tariff increases,” analysts Alec Phillips, Elsie Peng, and David Mericle wrote.