What Tariffs Actually Do to Your Money

A tariff is a tax charged to the American business bringing goods across the border — not to the foreign country. That part is completely settled. The real, interesting question is what happens after that. Does the importer absorb the cost? Does the store? Do you?

This book answers that question with real evidence: not a talking point, not a political frame, but the actual economic research on how tariff costs travel down the supply chain and what share of them ultimately lands in your grocery bill and household budget.

Chapter 2 covers the genuinely unstable legal picture — tariff law changed twice in 2026 alone, and anyone telling you with total confidence what's currently in effect should be treated with healthy skepticism. Chapter 5 covers the single most misunderstood fact: does the foreign country pay? No. Chapter 7 covers what the real, current estimates say about household cost — not ranges built on assumptions, but the actual figures researchers are publishing now. Chapter 8 explains why low-income households pay a larger share of their income in tariff costs than wealthy ones, and Chapter 11 examines the manufacturing jobs question honestly: what the evidence actually shows, and where it's genuinely uncertain.

Fourteen chapters plus FAQ. Every claim labeled by its real evidence status — confirmed fact, current model estimate, or genuinely unresolved question. Freshness date: August 2026. By Pop Buchanan.