Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, said President Donald Trump’s tariffs are “too high” and it will raise prices on some items as Trump’s global trade war increases the company’s costs.
“We will do our best to keep our prices as low as possible. But given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said Thursday on an earnings call.
“The higher tariffs will result in higher prices,” he said.
Tariffs on China are raising costs on electronics and toys, McMillon said, and some food costs are going up from tariffs on Costa Rica, Peru and Colombia.
The price hikes will begin later this month.
“I’m concerned that consumer is going to start seeing higher prices. You’ll begin to see that, likely towards the tail end of this month, and then certainly much more in June,” Walmart finance chief John David Rainey said in an interview with CNBC Thursday.
Many companies have been raising prices to mitigate cost increases from the 10% universal tariffs on every product entering the United States and higher levies on Chinese goods. Washington and Beijing reached an agreement to lower those tariffs this week, but the United States still charges a 30% levy on most goods coming from China.
Walmart applauded the Trump administration for bringing down its 145% tariff levels on China, but said the current levels of tariffs are “too high.”
“There are certain items, certain categories of merchandise that we’re dependent upon to import from other countries,” Rainey said on the call with analysts. “Prices of those things are likely going to go up. And that’s not good for consumers.”