US tariffs on Chinese goods may burden consumers amid high import dependence

The US decision to impose steeper tariffs on Chinese imports compared to other countries is expected to significantly impact American consumers. In 2024, China remained the top supplier of several essential and high-demand goods, with nearly 5% of US imports over $10 million showing 50% dependency on China. In half of these cases, China accounted for nearly 80 percent of US imports. 

Also Read: Why Apple prefers manufacturing in China to the US? 

China provided 99.7 percent of the US’s toaster imports and similar proportions of alarm clocks, electric blankets, umbrellas and artificial flowers. It also held an 81 percent share in the $50 billon worth of smartphone imports and supplied two-thirds of all laptops and 69 percent of lithium-ion batteries. Over 75 percent of toys and 86 percent of video games consoles came from China. 

The US also heavily depended on China for headphones (48%), home appliances like hairdryers (90%), fans (91%) and LED lamps (over 75%). Celebrations like Halloween and Christmas may be impacted, as China provided 95 percent of novelty items. Additionally, 67.6 percent of cookware and nearly 80 percent of non0stick aluminum cookware came from China. 

Despite exempting some electronics from duties, the US now imposes 20% tariffs on smartphones, 145% on toys, and 173% on lithium-ion batteries from China, under what is termed “Fentanyl tariffs”.