NEW YORK – The effects of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy have now spread to United States (US) corporates and consumers. A number of sectors – from fast food and medical devices to aviation and major corporations – have slashed financial projections due to the ongoing trade war.

PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Thermo Fisher, and Chipotle have acknowledged a trend of slowing consumer spending. Chipotle reported that US customers are dining out less, while PepsiCo noted a decline in consumers compared with three months ago.

More than 30 companies have revised their financial positions in the past two weeks. Among them are Delta, Southwest Airlines, and Tesla, all of which said they would reassess growth projections for the next three months.

“This environment is highly dynamic and uncertain. We won’t make major changes to sourcing or formulas without long-term clarity,” said Andre Schulten of Procter & Gamble, as quoted by Reuters on Friday (25/4).

Meanwhile, Trump has postponed some tariffs until 8 July. However, the base tariff of 10%, specific tariffs on aluminium and steel, and a 145% tariff on imports from China remain in place. So far, negotiation efforts between the US and China have yet to yield results.

The US stock market briefly stabilised this week thanks to easing signals from Trump, though the S&P 500 index is still down 7.5% since the start of the year. (EF/KR/ZH)