'Eat The Tariffs':Trump warn Walmart amid price hike plans

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday publicly criticized Walmart, urging the retail giant to absorb the cost of tariffs rather than passing them on to American consumers. The comments came after Walmart (NYSE: WMT), the world's largest retailer, announced this week that it would begin raising prices later this month, citing the burden of higher import duties as a key driver of cost pressures.
“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain. Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. “Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING.”
Trump’s remarks appear to revive the debate over who ultimately bears the cost of tariffs—U.S. companies or foreign exporters. During his presidency, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on Chinese goods as part of his trade war strategy, arguing they would bring manufacturing back to the U.S. and reduce reliance on foreign imports.Retailers and importers, however, have long maintained that such duties increase their operating costs, forcing them to raise prices on everyday goods from electronics to clothing.
Walmart has yet to respond publicly to Trump’s statement. The company reported stronger-than-expected earnings earlier this week, but reportedly stated that inflationary pressures and tariff costs were likely to squeeze margins and lead to selective price increases across its stores.

(Business Correspondent)