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CNET
11 hours ago
- Business
- CNET
CNET's Tariff Price Tracker: I'm Following 11 Key Products Daily for Price Changes
A trade court has ruled Trump's tariff barrage illegal but the possibility that prices could climb remains real. James Martin/CNET CNET's daily price tracker has found prices for several key products to be mostly stable amid President Donald Trump's tariff push, aside from a notable $100 price hike for the Xbox Series X. With that in mind, the broader impacts of these import taxes are still on the horizon, unless the Supreme Court upholds a lower court ruling against them. Late last Wednesday evening, the three-judge panel at the New York-based US Court of International Trade ruled that Trump had overstepped the bounds of his executive branch authority with his wide-ranging tariff policy, effectively nullifying it for the time being. The court explained that Congress, with its "power of the purse," has the primary authority to impose tariffs and that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 -- which Trump has used to justify his ability to impose them -- does not grant the president "unlimited" authority on tariffs. By Thursday, an appeals court allowed to tariffs to resume while the administration seeks a final reversal of the original ruling from the Supreme Court. The Trump administration has, unsurprisingly, decried this ruling and moved swiftly to request that the Supreme Court strike it down. We'll see how that ultimately plays out but, for now, the possibility that the president's tariff policies will lead to price hikes remains likely. That's why I'm continuing to monitor several key products you might want or need to buy soon, to keep track of the potential tariff impacts. CNET Tariff Tracker Index Above, you can check out a chart with the average price of the 11 products included in this piece over the course of 2025. This will help give you a sense of the overall price changes and fluctuations going on. Further down, you'll be able to check out charts for each individual product being tracked. In the past few weeks, Trump ramped up his clashes with companies over their reactions to his tariff agenda. For starters, he demanded that Walmart -- the largest grocery chain in the US -- eat the cost of the new import taxes after the company said its prices would go up by the summer because of his import taxes. To close out last week, he threatened Apple with a 25% duty on its products if it didn't plan to move manufacturing to the US, a prospect that has been widely dismissed as a fantasy. As I've written about before on CNET, despite these attacks from Trump, the reality of tariffs is that they will almost certainly raise everyday prices and won't bring much manufacturing stateside. We'll be updating this article regularly as prices change. It's all in the name of helping you make sense of things so be sure to check back every so often. For more, check out CNET's guide to whether you should wait to make big purchases or buy them now and get expert tips about how to prepare for a recession. Watch this: Should You Buy Now or Wait? Our Experts Weigh In on Tariffs 09:42 Methodology We're checking prices daily and will update the article and the relevant charts right away to reflect any changes. The following charts show a single bullet point for each month, with the most recent one labeled "Now" and showing the current price. For the past months, we've gone with what was the most common price for each item in the given month. In most cases, the price stats used in these graphs were pulled from Amazon using the historical price-tracker tool Keepa. For the iPhones, the prices come from Apple's official materials and are based on the 128-gigabyte base model of the latest offering for each year: the iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16. For the Xbox Series X, the prices were sourced from Best Buy using the tool PriceTracker. If any of these products happen to be on sale at a given time, we'll be sure to let you know and explain how those price drops differ from longer-term pricing trends that tariffs can cause. The 11 products we're tracking Mostly what we're tracking in this article are electronic devices and digital items that CNET covers in depth, like iPhones and affordable 4K TVs -- along with a typical bag of coffee, a more humble product that isn't produced in the US to any significant degree. The products featured were chosen for a few reasons: Some of them are popular and/or affordable representatives for major consumer tech categories, like smartphones, TVs and game consoles. Others are meant to represent things that consumers might buy more frequently, like printer ink or coffee beans. Some products were chosen over others because they are likely more susceptible to tariffs. Some of these products have been reviewed by CNET or have been featured in some of our best lists. Below, we'll get into more about each individual product, and stick around till the end for a rundown of some other products worth noting. iPhone 16 The iPhone is the most popular smartphone brand in the US, so this was a clear priority for price tracking. The iPhone has also emerged as a major focal point for conversations about tariffs, given its popularity and its susceptibility to import taxes because of its overseas production, largely in China. Trump has reportedly been fixated on the idea that the iPhone can and should be manufactured in the US, an idea that experts have dismissed as a fantasy. Estimates have also suggested that a US-made iPhone would cost as much as $3,500. Something to note about this graph: The price listed is the one you'll see if you buy your phone through a major carrier. If you, say, buy direct from Apple or Best Buy without a carrier involved, you'll be charged an extra $30, so in some places, you might see the list price of the standard iPhone 16 listed as $830. Apple has made several moves this year to protect its prices in the US as much as possible, like flying in bulk shipments of product ahead of the tariffs taking effect and working to move production for the American market from China to India, where tariff rates are less severe. This latter move provoked a response from Trump, given his noted fixation on the iPhone, saying last week that he "had a little problem" with Tim Cook over the move, claiming without evidence that the Apple CEO pledged to bring more manufacturing to the US. Cook and others close to the company for years say that the supply chains for its products are too complex to move manufacturing entirely to the US. This week, Trump further threatened a 25% penalty rate against Apple products if it did not move manufacturing to the US. How that will play out is still unclear, but notably, foreign-made iPhones with 25% tax would still probably be much cheaper than iPhones predominantly made in the US. Duracell AA batteries A lot of the tech products in your home might boast a rechargeable energy source but individual batteries are still an everyday essential and I can tell you from experience that as soon as you forget about them, you'll be needing to restock. The Duracell AAs we're tracking are some of the bestselling batteries on Amazon. Samsung DU7200 TV Alongside smartphones, televisions are some of the most popular tech products out there, even if they're an infrequent purchase. This particular product is a popular entry-level 4K TV and was CNET's pick for best overall budget TV for 2025. Unlike a lot of tech products that have key supply lines in China, Samsung is a South Korean company so it might have some measure of tariff resistance. Xbox Series X Video game software and hardware are a market segment expected to be hit hard by the Trump tariffs. Microsoft's Xbox is the first console brand to see price hikes -- the company cited "market conditions" along with the rising cost of development. Most notably, this included an increase in the price of the flagship Xbox Series X, up from $500 to $600. Numerous Xbox accessories also were affected and the company also said that "certain" games will eventually see a price hike from $70 to $80. Initially, we were tracking the price of the much more popular Nintendo Switch as a representative of the gaming market. Nintendo has not yet hiked the price of its handheld-console hybrid and stressed that the $450 price tag of the upcoming Switch 2 has not yet been inflated because of tariffs. Sony, meanwhile, has so far only increased prices on its PlayStation hardware in markets outside the US. AirPods Pro 2 The latest iteration of Apple's wildly popular true-wireless earbuds are here to represent the headphone market. Much to the chagrin of the audiophiles out there, a quick look at sales charts on Amazon shows you just how much the brand dominates all headphone sales. Earlier in the year, they tended to hover around $199 on the site, a notable discount from its $249 list price. In the past month, however, its gotten closer to that price on Amazon, so if you're looking to buy a pair, you might want to consider doing it sooner rather than later. HP 962 CMY printer ink This HP printer ink includes cyan, magenta and yellow all in one product and recently saw its price jump from around $72 -- where it stayed for most of 2025 -- to $80, which is around its highest price over the last five years. We will be keeping tabs to see if this is a long-term change or a brief uptick. This product replaced Overture PLA Filament for 3D printers in this piece, but we're still tracking that item. Anker 10,000-mAh, 30-watt power bank Anker's accessories are perennially popular in the tech space and the company has already announced that some of its products will get more expensive as a direct result of tariffs. This specific product has also been featured in some of CNET's lists of the best portable chargers. While the price has remained steady throughout the year, it is currently on sale for $13, or 50% off, for a limited time. Bose TV speaker Soundbars have become important purchases, given the often iffy quality of the speakers built into TVs. While not the biggest or the best offering in the space, the Bose TV Speaker is one of the more affordable soundbar options out there, especially hailing from a brand as popular as Bose. This product has been one of the steadiest on this list in terms of price throughout the year, but it's currently on sale for $199, potentially as part of Amazon's Memorial Day sale. So, if you're looking for an affordable, tariff-free TV speaker, now might be the time. Oral-B Pro 1000 electric toothbrush They might be a lot more expensive than their traditional counterparts but electric toothbrushes remain a popular choice for consumers because of how well they get the job done. I know my dentist won't let up on how much I need one. This particular Oral-B offering was CNET's overall choice for the best electric toothbrush for 2025. Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Lenovo is notable among the big laptop manufacturers for being a Chinese company making its products especially susceptible to Trump's tariffs. Starbucks Ground Coffee (28-ounce bag) Coffee is included in this tracker because of its ubiquity -- I'm certainly drinking too much of it these days -- and because it's uniquely susceptible to Trump's tariff agenda. Famously, coffee beans can only be grown within a certain distance from Earth's equator, a tropical span largely outside the US and known as the "Coffee Belt." Hawaii is the only part of the US that can produce coffee beans, with data from USAFacts showing that 11.5 million pounds were harvested there in the 2022-23 season -- little more than a drop in the mug, as the US consumed 282 times that amount of coffee during that period. Making matters worse, Hawaiian coffee production has declined in the past few years. All that to say: Americans get almost all of their coffee from overseas, making it one of the most likely products to see price hikes from tariffs. Other Products As mentioned before, we occasionally swap out products with different ones that undergo notable price shifts. Here are some things no longer featured above, but that we're still keeping an eye on: Nintendo Switch: The baseline handheld-console hybrid has held steady around $299 most places -- including Amazon impending release of the Switch 2 remains to be seen. This product was replaced above with the Xbox Series X. impending release of the Switch 2 remains to be seen. This product was replaced above with the Xbox Series X. Overture PLA 3D printer filament: This is a popular choice on Amazon Here are some products we also wanted to single out that haven't been featured with a graph yet: Razer Blade 18 (2025), 5070 Ti edition: The latest revision of Razer's largest gaming laptop saw a $300 price bump recently, with the base model featured an RTX 5070 Ti graphics card now priced at $3,500 ahead of launch, compared to the $3,200 price announced in February. While Razer has stayed mum about the reasoning, it did previously suspend direct sales to the US as Trump's tariff plans were ramping up in April.
CBS News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Gloucester raises non-resident beach parking price, requires online reservation
A price hike for non-residents visiting Gloucester's popular beaches is now in effect. People showed up this week paying more than $40 to park. "We came two years ago, and it was $20 a car. Now it's double. We didn't know we had to pay for the entire night. We are paid up until 9 p.m. tonight," said John Lacaire, a teacher who brought students from Worcester Technical High School to the beach as part of a field trip. "We are here with some of our students for a field trip, so no way we can stay until 9 p.m." Reservations required The price went up $10 from last season. City Councilor Jeff Worthley says he started the push to have a reservation system for non-residents before he got on the council. Lacaire also had no idea that he and his colleague Paul Chambers had to make a reservation online before parking with the students. "They had us leave the parking lot so we could make the reservation online. We left, drove down the street, made a reservation, came back five minute later, and they let us in," said Lacaire. "Our numbers have been through the roof as far as people wanting to come to the beach," said Worthley. "If it turns out somehow this impacts demand, and we don't have many people coming, we can reduce the price." Worthley says costs have gone up to maintain the beaches. They do provide bathrooms, lifeguards, and safety measures. City trying to offset costs "Our costs have gone up on everything, and so this is a way to offset that, and do it in a way that taxpayers in Gloucester aren't having to shoulder the whole burden," said Worthley. "We did go up $10 more per car per day. We like to think that when you carpool with four to five people that's an affordable family friendly destination." Local residents pay far less to park. There are two options. For residents, they can pay $20 for a beach-only parking sticker. They can also apply for a sticker that gets them access to beaches and other city amenities like their compost station. That sticker is $5 for a 5-year span that resets every five years. If you apply for the sticker later in the 5-year span, it will cost less. "A lot of beaches and a lot of people keep coming in, it became a big traffic problem," said Dick Pokolek, a Gloucester resident who has the five-year sticker. "The backups for traffic were so heavy that they had to find a solution." "Before they started doing the reservation system, sometimes you could get here and not have a parking space. I understand why they did it, but it's just too much," said Diane Messuri who came with friends and was stunned to pay more than $40 to park. "Why do I have to pay this much every time I come, and just because they live in the town, they get such a bargain?"
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Retailers expect more job cuts amid plummeting sentiment following tax rises
Retailers are expecting to hike prices, cut jobs and slash investment amid the sharpest drop in sentiment across the sector since the pandemic, according to a survey. Research by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) suggested employment across retailers declined in the year to May, and headcount is expected to fall faster next month. Firms said they also expect to cut back on investment plans in the next 12 months, while they also anticipate that price rises will continue to accelerate in June, according to the CBI's quarterly industry gauge. Retailers have been hit by rising costs after the Government hiked company national insurance contributions (Nics), a tax which makes it more expensive to employ people, in April. The minimum wage also increased at the same time, while consumer confidence remains low after hitting a record low in April, according to some surveys. In the wake of the changes, confidence across the retail sector has fallen at the sharpest pace in five years. The CBI said a net balance of companies expecting business to worsen over the next three months standing at minus 29%, down from a reading of minus 19% in February. Ben Jones, lead economist at the CBI, said: 'This was a fairly downbeat survey and highlights some of the challenges facing the retail and wider distribution sector.' Firms are 'feeling the impact of higher Nics and the national living wage increase', he added. 'In contrast to other recent retail data, this survey suggests parts of the sector are still struggling with fragile consumer demand, though online sales seem to be holding up better. 'Our quarterly survey suggests that retailers are cutting back on hiring, scaling back investment and expect to increase selling prices at the fastest pace for over a year. The net balance of firms expecting a decline in headcount next month was minus 20%, while those expecting to scale back investment was minus 47%.
Free Malaysia Today
26-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Breadmaker fined RM60,000 for hiking prices of potato buns
Breadmaker Today Bakeries Products (Klang) Sdn Bhd was charged under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011. PETALING JAYA : A bread manufacturer has been slapped with a RM60,000 fine by the Klang sessions court for profiteering by raising the price of its potato buns last year. Judge Sharifah Hascindie Syed Omar meted out the sentence on Today Bakeries Products (Klang) Sdn Bhd, represented by its director, Khu Kim Chai, who changed the company's plea to guilty today. Khu, 67, paid the fine after the court proceedings, Berita Harian reported. The Klang company was charged with profiteering by hiking the price of its potato buns from RM3.35 to RM3.51, and from RM1.89 to RM2.05, leading to a 16 sen increase in net profits. The offence was committed at the company's premises at Taman Klang Utama on May 27, 2024. The charge was framed under Section 14(1) of the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011, which provides for a maximum RM500,000 fine upon conviction. The company was represented by lawyer Ridzuan Omar, while domestic trade and cost of living ministry prosecuting officer Saiful Saaidin prosecuted.
SBS Australia
26-05-2025
- Business
- SBS Australia
New electricity prices 'not welcome news' for Australians in some states
Electricity prices are set to rise for almost half a million households in NSW, south-east Queensland, and South Australia from 1 July. The Default Market Offer (DMO), a reference price for electricity set by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), will increase for 475,727 residences and 91,060 small businesses in these states. The DMO is updated yearly and acts as a price cap that energy retailers can charge residential and small business customers on default contracts, also known as standing offer contracts. Victoria also released its DMO on Monday. The costs of electricity will be higher than last year, as the wholesale costs and the price of transporting electricity have risen, according to AER. The AER said retail costs, such as the cost of billing customers, running call centres, acquiring new customers, managing defaults, and the rollout of smart meters, have added to the price hikes. In NSW, residential customers without controlled load will be hit with price hikes of 8.5 per cent to 9.1 per cent, while customers with controlled load will face increases of 8.3 per cent to 9.7 per cent. Residential customers without controlled load in south-east Queensland will face price increases of 3.7 per cent. Customers with controlled load will be hit with price increases of 0.5 per cent. In South Australia, households without controlled loads will be affected by price increases of 3.2 per cent while those with controlled loads will witness a 2.3 per cent hike in prices. AER chair Clare Savage said the price hikes are "not welcome news". "We know this is not welcome news for consumers in the current cost-of-living environment," she said. "As noted in our draft determination, sustained pressures across almost all components of the DMO have driven these price rises, with wholesale and network costs rising in most jurisdictions between 1 per cent and 11 per cent, and retail costs between 8 per cent and 35 per cent compared with last year." Domestic customers in Victoria will pay about 1 per cent more than last year. Small business customers on standing offer plans will experience increases of 0.8 per cent to 8.5 per cent, depending on the region. Those in NSW will face increases of 7.9 per cent to 8.5 per cent. Small business customers based in south-east Queensland will witness increases of 0.8 per cent, and those in South Australia will be hit with a 3.5 per cent hike in prices. And small businesses in Victoria will pay around 3 per cent more. Savage said you can contact your retailer for a better offer below the DMO. "I strongly encourage all consumers to avoid staying on an old or uncompetitive plan. Contact your retailer to see if you can get a better offer or shop around," she said. "At least every 100 days, your retailer must tell you on the front page of your bill if they can offer you a better deal." Sally Tindall, data insights director at financial comparison site Canstar Blue, said switching plans could save consumers hundreds of dollars. "These electricity price hikes will knock the wind out of the sails for many families, just when they thought they'd turned a corner in the cost-of-living crisis. "Our research shows switching from an average-priced plan to one of the lowest in the market could save you over $400 a year in some cases — this, for some households, could be enough to mitigate the upcoming price hikes. "If you can't pay your electricity bill, contact your provider straight away and ask what options might be available. Every electricity provider has a hardship program they must offer you to help you get back on track."
