Days of our Tariffs
Planet Money
NPR
4.6 • 30.5K Ratings
🗓️ 19 November 2025
⏱️ 30 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On today’s episode, we run full-on at the twisty, turny drama of life with broad-based tariffs and tackle perhaps our most asked question: Are we, regular U.S. shoppers, feeling the tariffs yet? When we’re at the grocery store or the coffee shop, are we paying more for things because of the tariffs?
We now have the data to get a very clear answer to that question. Plus, we hear a cautionary tale from our dear colleague James Sneed, who ordered a collectible doll and wound up with a surprise tariff bill at his door.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Quick disclosure, the public broadcast service, PBS, is a supporter of NPR, |
| 0:05.8 | and this episode does mention two cartoon characters from a PBS show. |
| 0:10.5 | Okay, here's our episode. |
| 0:13.1 | This is Planet Money's Kenny Malone, and I'm so glad you found your way into this very special place we've created for one particular topic. |
| 0:42.0 | Pull up that chair there, but do be careful. |
| 0:44.5 | Importing a new upholstered wooden chair is now 25% more as of the October 14th enactment of a new tariff. |
| 0:51.3 | And in that vein, I hope bourbon's okay. |
| 0:54.4 | Scotch has that 10% UK tariff. How much is getting passed on to us, who can say? |
| 0:59.3 | But yeah, this cozy little corner is a planet money space we've made to block out the rest of the economy |
| 1:05.6 | and focus just on the ongoing saga that is simply tariffs. You mind if I turn on the old... |
| 1:12.4 | Because have you noticed some familiar made-for-TV tropes over the last seven months of tariff drama? |
| 1:20.9 | My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day. |
| 1:24.7 | So it starts when President Trump announces the tariffs on April 2nd, then unannounces them. |
| 1:30.5 | We're hearing that there will be a 90-day pause. |
| 1:34.3 | Then he sort of unannounces them, and then announces surprising tariffs. |
| 1:38.5 | 50% tariff on imported kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities. |
| 1:42.5 | Branded or patented drugs could face a 100% tariff. |
| 1:45.7 | 100% tariff on movies. |
| 1:48.4 | Like these are plot twists upon plot twists. |
| 1:52.0 | Plus, the jilted trade partner. |
| 1:54.9 | When someone says let's impose tariffs on foreign imports. |
| 1:59.0 | Just five weeks ago, the government of Ontario started running this commercial in the United States. |
... |
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