(Reuters)-For US companies, the moment to “wait to see” about tariffs is over.
United States President Donald Trump, along with a 10% tariff over China, in what may be the early stage of, which will probably create new headaches for executives who have been facing higher costs for several years.
Tariffs on products imported from the three largest US business partners can affect sectors from car to consumer and energy goods. Executives managed to divert questions about dealing with tariffs before Saturday’s announcement, and many wanted to avoid antagonizing Trump’s White House after he took office. This absence of response may no longer be possible.

“All CEOs are perplexed with these non -strategic tariff tantrums that are being directed to our closest allies instead of opponents,” said Jefrey Sonnenfeld, professor at Yale School of Management in New Haven, Connecticut.
Several global companies will publicize their results next week, including Amazon, Ford Motor, Mondelez International and Owens -llinois. They will probably face a flood of questions about how they plan to mitigate these costs.
Reuters contacted several companies, but none of them wanted to make official comments about the tariffs. Several industry associations made comments, although some were more critical than others.
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The US Steelworkers Union, North America’s largest industrial union, criticized Trump’s tariffs over Canada, citing about $ 1.3 trillion in trade between the two countries.
“These rates are not just harming Canada. They threaten the stability of industries on both sides of the border, ”Union President David McCall said in a statement.
Car manufacturers, such as General Motors and Toyota, could transfer the production of foreign factories to the United States, while companies such as Alcoa aluminum global giant suggested redirect remittances to reduce tariff load.
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Many companies accelerated remittances in the fourth quarter before Trump’s return to office.
Tariff compensation is more difficult for smaller companies without global operations that need foreign parts. Several aerospace and automotive companies operate near the US and Canada border, while US refineries in the midwest depend greatly on Canadian gross oil.
Tariffs are paid by importing companies, not by foreign nations, as Trump often states erroneously. This week, he acknowledged that rates would cause short -term inconvenience, as costs are sometimes passed on to consumers.
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Trump has been looking for tariffs as a way to force companies to move to the United States. But this is frustrating for companies that have transferred production to Canada and Mexico in response to Trump’s rates over China in their first term – and now they must be hit.
“Our American automakers (…) should not have their competitiveness impaired by tariffs that will increase the cost of vehicle production in the United States and will prevent investment in US workforce,” Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive Policy Council, said, said Matt Blunt, which represents Ford Motor, General Motors and Stellantis.
Research shows that higher rates usually take higher prices on checkout, but the exact effect is not clear. Experts told Reuters that companies can absorb part or all of the tax burden.
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Tom Madrecki, Vice President of Resilience at the Consumer Brands Association supply chain, said in a statement that “the packaged consumer goods sector supports a ‘strategic American trade policy that protects US jobs and maintains food, drinks, household and affordable personal care products ”.
He also said, however, that tariffs can cause higher prices and asked Mexico and Canada to work with President Trump.
Large stores like Walmart and Target, which have struggled to keep prices low in the inflation, may not be able to support the highest costs in the supply chain.
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The two companies did not immediately respond to requests for comments, but the National Retail Federation, which represents the largest retailers in the country, said the White House should explore other ways to achieve their political goals.
“As long as these universal tariffs are in force, Americans will be forced to pay higher prices for daily consumer goods,” said David French, NRF’s executive vice president of government relations.
Church & Dwight, which manufactures Arm & Hammer detergent and Trojan condoms, said it should be focused on local manufacturing and productivity improvements to compensate for the effects.
“These are volatile situations, so we’ll see how long it will last and what will happen,” said CFO Rick Dierker on a results teleconference on Friday, adding that they have the ability to “reactive when necessary.”