President Donald Trump's tariffs are entering a new phase and are likely to stay for a long time, meaning Americans and businesses should expect continued import taxes instead of temporary measures. The White House's latest tariff overhaul is not a major policy change but a legal restructuring to keep Trump's trade agenda alive after previous tariffs ran into legal problems.

Trump's new tariffs are here to stay. (Photo by Kena Betancur / AFP) (AFP)

For American consumers, this means continued uncertainty, disrupted supply chains and higher prices on many imported products. About 18 months into Trump's second-term trade war, tariffs have mainly resulted in higher prices for goods instead of delivering all the economic goals promised by the administration, according to WSJ. So far, the tariffs have not significantly slowed the nearly $30 trillion US economy, but they have also not substantially reduced the US trade deficit or revived domestic manufacturing as promised.

The Office of the US Trade Representative said the new Section 301 tariffs cover 99.4% of all US imports, according to Reuters. Trade experts say the legal change is intended to keep Trump's tariffs in place for longer after earlier court challenges.

Analysts expect the overall effective tariff rate on US imports to remain close to 10%, meaning businesses will see little difference from what they have already been paying this year. The administration also plans to introduce several more tariff actions over the coming months, meaning additional import taxes are still on the way. That means Americans are unlikely to see import taxes disappear anytime soon, keeping pressure on prices for many imported goods.

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Federal Reserve economists estimate tariffs increased core goods prices by about 3.1% through February. Because Americans spend much more money on services like housing, healthcare, entertainment and travel than on physical goods, the overall inflation impact has been smaller. The Federal Reserve estimates tariffs increased overall core consumer inflation by around 0.8 percentage points.

The S&P 500 stock index has risen about 31% since Trump introduced his first major tariff package. However, tariffs have not fully achieved two major goals of the administration—reducing the trade deficit and bringing back manufacturing jobs.

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Michigan-based vacuum cleaner maker Bissell Inc said it had expected tariffs to remain around 10% to 15% and therefore did not rush to import extra inventory before the new duties took effect, according to Reuters. Bissell CEO Mark Bissell said, "We continued to run the business based on the belief that the tariffs would stay in the 10-15% range."

Trade experts warn that these unexpected tariff announcements remain one of the biggest risks for businesses trying to plan ahead. Eswar Prasad, trade professor at Cornell University, said, "Trump’s eagerness to impose tariffs to address a whole range of grievances will not only continue disrupting the global trading system but will have significant adverse effects on American households and businesses", according to Reuters.