Trade war: Companies pass on financial burden of tariffs to customers

US President Trump’s trade war is making life uncomfortable for some large American corporations, but they have found a way to reduce the pain: Pass it on to customers.

The Trump administration’s tariffs have pushed up the prices of steel and aluminium and have raised costs for companies that make everything from cars and tractors to dishwashers. 

These companies face a choice. They can bear the higher costs themselves and report weaker profits, which might crater their stocks. Or they can charge more for their products, in effect making their customers bear much of the financial burden of the tariffs, at least