President Donald Trump criticized Walmart on Saturday, saying the retail giant should absorb the costs of tariffs instead of attributing rising prices to duties imposed by his administration on imported goods. His remarks followed Walmart’s announcement that it would begin increasing prices later this month due to high tariffs.
“Walmart should STOP blaming tariffs for price hikes. They made BILLIONS last year—well above expectations,” Trump wrote on social media. “Between Walmart and China, they should ‘EAT THE TARIFFS’ and not pass the cost on to loyal customers.”
In response, Walmart said it remains committed to keeping prices as low as possible, acknowledging the challenge of doing so with thin profit margins. CEO Doug McMillon explained that while the company can’t absorb all tariff-related costs, especially on goods from China, it will ensure that grocery prices remain unaffected.
Walmart’s public statement underscores how the ongoing trade tensions, especially with China, are pressuring U.S. retailers. As one of the country’s biggest retail chains—with 255 million weekly shoppers globally and stores within 10 miles of 90% of Americans—Walmart’s pricing strategies are closely watched as an indicator of consumer and economic health.
The company’s comments come just weeks after reports that Amazon would reveal how tariffs were affecting product prices—claims Amazon quickly denied after backlash from the White House.
