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American consumers may have been finding it difficult to get ahead financially as they felt the impact of the tariffs, and a new study examines just how those tariffs affect consumer prices. The study highlights how much tariffs added to goods inflation during a time when consumers already faced other challenges, like higher housing costs and climbing gas prices.
If you've found it harder to stay on budget while buying essentials and paying your bills, you're not alone, and now there's data to back up what you've been experiencing. Read on to learn just how the tariffs have impacted you so far and how they might affect you in 2027.
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How much tariffs added to goods inflation
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released a revised report in September. The report, titled "The Anatomy of Tariff Pass-Through into Consumer Prices," estimates the effects of the 2025-2026 tariffs on the consumer prices that Americans paid.
According to the report's findings, for every percentage point increase in average tariffs, consumer goods prices increased by about a quarter of a percent after one year. About two-thirds of the effect was caused because tariffs raised the prices of imported consumer goods.
The widespread impact on pricing
The effect on pricing was widespread. The report found that nearly 90% of the 2025 tariffs were passed through to import prices. Data through February 2026 revealed the same effect; import prices increased nearly one for one with higher tariff costs. Those increases happened quickly, too, occurring in the first month after a tariff was raised.
How tariffs affected U.S.-made products
The impact of tariffs wasn't limited to products imported to the U.S. The tariffs also affected the cost of goods that were made right here in the U.S.
According to the report, two factors contributed to the higher product costs. Since many U.S. producers rely on imported parts and materials, those producers raised product costs as the price of their production increased because of tariffs.
Additionally, as tariffs drove up the cost of imported goods, U.S. producers felt less pressure to keep their prices down.
This effect takes a bit longer. U.S. producer prices rise only slightly in the first six months after a tariff is increased, but the response builds and nearly doubles over the next six months.
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Why the tariff effects have persisted, rather than fading
Though some economists predicted that tariff effects could fade over time, those effects have persisted. In part, that's because the effect of tariffs is gradual. The report presented a hypothetical scenario in which a 10% tariff is imposed on all imports, resulting in an assumed 2.6% higher consumer goods price after 12 months.
That price increase arrives in stages; about half of the direct effect is felt after three months, and all of it is felt by six months once retailers have passed those higher costs on to consumers. The indirect effect on retail prices more than doubles between six and 12 months as U.S.-based producers raise their prices, and the full brunt of the tariff effect is felt only after a year.
Additionally, tariffs were repeatedly changed, and new tariffs were implemented, resulting in a cumulative and extended effect.
The distinction between tariffs and other inflation drivers
Tariffs are also impacting other inflation drivers, like energy costs and housing. According to the Clean Air Task Force, tariffs make U.S. energy more expensive and disrupt energy security.
The war with Iran tremendously disrupted the oil supply, driving up oil and gas prices. In late September, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association projected that the average cost to heat a home with oil may jump by approximately 50% this winter, climbing to $2,627 compared to $1,749 last year.
Those higher energy costs impact homeowners and renters, exacerbating the already high housing costs present in the country. Tariffs have had an impact on the cost of home construction; the National Association of Home Builders estimates that about $194 billion worth of goods were used in home construction in 2025, and about $14 billion, or 7%, of those goods came from a foreign nation.
Tariffs aren't behind every price increase in these inflation drivers, but they do contribute, and the higher prices caused by tariffs take a toll on consumers whose budgets are already stretched thin by expenses like energy and housing.
Bottom line
As tariffs continue to result in higher prices and contribute to inflation, they're impacting the Federal Reserve's actions. In an attempt to regulate inflation, the Fed increased its key interest rate at the September meeting by a quarter-point. It was the first increase in three years, and it's possible that the Fed may raise the interest rate again this year if inflation remains elevated.
If everyday purchases still feel expensive, then you're likely simply seeing the extended impact of tariffs, despite messaging that conveys inflation is being moderated. While prices remain elevated, looking for sales, comparison shopping, and even buying in bulk may help you keep more of your money.
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