Higher prices, less choice, job losses

President Trump‘s trade war has already loomed large over the back-to-school and holiday season ordering of retailers. Spring season is next, and it is occurring just as Trump’s latest sweeping global tariffs take effect.

While Spring 2026 may seem relatively far off into the future, for retailers, now is the time of year when they plan spring orders, and both retailing and manufacturing experts say the tariffs will influence the level of activity.

The retail industry warned on Friday that the latest tariffs may lead to higher prices, fewer products on the shelves, and job losses.

“Continued high tariffs from key sourcing countries, last-minute policy shifts, and unclear new requirements are creating the perfect storm for a difficult holiday season and a challenging spring,” said Steve Lamar, CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. “America’s most popular brands and retailers are in a flurry of navigating the still-unpublished details of new trade deals. As they plan for Spring 2026, they’re weighing tough choices: whether to raise prices, cut jobs, or reduce the range of products offered to consumers,” he said.

The U.S. fashion industry already carries what Lamar called an “outsized share of the burden.”

In 2024, it accounted for less than 5% of all imports by value yet accounted for more than 25% of all tariffs the U.S. government collected.

During the summer months, companies are typically in the advanced stages of planning and placing orders for the new year and spring seasons. Now, there’s a widespread hesitancy to make timely shipping and sourcing decisions.

“To stay competitive, American companies need clear, final trade terms now; not uncertainty layered on top of already unsustainable costs,” Lamar said.

David French, the National Retail Federation’s executive vice president of government relations, said in a statement on Friday that “binding trade agreements that truly open markets by lowering tariffs, not raising them,” should be the administration’s goal.

NRF warned that the “direct result of tariffs will be higher prices, decreased hiring, fewer capital expenditures and slower innovation.”

“Retailers have been able to hold the line on pricing so far, but the new tariffs will impact merchandise in the coming weeks. We have heard directly from small retailers who are concerned about their ability to stay in business in the face of these unsustainable tariff rates,” French said in the statement.

Retail CEOs under stress

Aabesh De, founder of plant health company Flora — which shot to popularity after his appearance on Shark Tank — told CNBC that with a product development and manufacturing cycle that is between 6 to 8 months, the tariff uncertainty, and in his company’s case the layering of Chinese tariffs, led the Flora team to pause the release of a new Flora Pod.

“Originally, we were hoping for a December release, and we then pushed it back to the Spring,” said De. “Now, we are back to the drawing board because we are paying a…