Donald Trump to Walmart: Eat The Tariffs

US President Donald Trump on Saturday ripped into Walmart, saying on social media that the retail giant should eat the additional costs created by his tariffs. 

As Trump has jacked up import taxes, he has tried to assure a skeptical public that foreign producers would pay for those taxes and that retailers and automakers would absorb the additional expenses. Most economic analyses are deeply skeptical of those claims and have warned that the trade penalties would worsen inflation. 

Walmart already warned on Thursday that everything from bananas to children's car seats could increase in price. 

Trump, in his Truth Social post, lashed out at the retailer, which employ 1.6 million people in the United States. He said the company, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, should sacrifice their profits for the sake of his economic agenda that he says will eventually lead to more domestic jobs in manufacturing. 

“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain”, Trump posted. “Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, “EAT THE TARIFFS”, and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!” 

The posting by Trump reflected the increasingly awkward series of choices that many major American companies face as a result of his tariffs, from deteriorating sales to the possibility of incurring his wrath. He has similarly warned domestic automakers to not raise their prices, even though outside analyses say his tariffs would raise production costs. 

So far, those tariffs have darkened the mood of an otherwise resilient US economy. The preliminary reading of the University of Michigan survey of consumer sentiment on Friday slipped to its second lowest measure on record, with roughly 75% of respondents “spontaneously” mentioning tariffs as they largely expected inflation to accelerate. 

In April, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon (right) was among the retail executives who met with Trump at the White House to discuss tariffs. But the Trump administration went forward despite warnings and has attacked other companies such as Amazon and Apple that are struggling with the disruptions to their supply chains. 

Walmart chief financial officer John David Rainey said he thinks $350 car seats made in China will soon cost an additional $100, a 29% price increase. 

“We’re wired to keep prices low, but there’s a limit to what we can bear, or any retailer for that matter”, he told The Associated Press on Thursday after the company reported strong first-quarter sales. 

Donald Trump Plans to Abandon Tariff Talks

Washington will inform 150 countries of updated tariff rates with the US by post within the coming weeks, Donald Trump announced on Friday. 

It is no longer feasible to meet individually with every country seeking a trade agreement, he explained. On April 02, dubbed by the US president as "Liberation Day", the White House imposed a baseline 10% tariff on all imported goods and additional surcharges on countries such as China, Mexico and Canada citing trade imbalances. 

Trump indicated at the time that the White House would negotiate individual deals with all its trade partners in the following weeks, but he has now suggested that the administration will set terms unilaterally. He mentioned a timeline of “over the next two to three weeks”.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick would be responsible for sending out letters detailing the new tariff rates that will apply to each country, Trump said. The new rates “would be very fair, but we’ll be telling people what they’ll be paying to do business in the United States”. 

Major US retailers such as Walmart and Target have said they plan to raise prices in response to the rising cost of imports. Trump has dismissed the concerns, claiming any price hikes will be small and that businesses will adapt by shifting their supply chains. 

The White House has not yet disclosed the content of the letters or the exact rates that will be applied. It is also unclear whether countries will be given a timeline or conditions under which the rates could change.

World No. 4 Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan secured their fourth World Tour title following an emphatic win at the Thailand Open in Bangkok today. 

The top seeds overcame South Korea's Jeong Na Eun-Lee Yeon Woo 21-16, 21-17 in the Super 500 women's doubles final in 57 minutes. 

The title adds up to their early wins at the Swiss Open (2021), French Open (2022) and the Hong Kong Open (2024).

Good job, Pearly-Thinaah!