It’s about his tariffs
Trump threatens a supermarket giant
May 17, 2025 – 7:51 p.m.Reading time: 1 min.
Donald Trump has a new opponent: the food giant Walmart. The background to the dispute is the customs policy of the US president.
In the debate about his customs policy, US President Donald Trump sharply criticized the Walmart retail giant. The company should not use the tariffs as an excuse for price increases, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
In the article published on Saturday, Trump accuses the retail giant to pass on the financial burdens on consumers despite the billion dollars last year. “Walmart earned billions of dollars last year – much more than expected”it continues. In his opinion, the group and China should “Swallow the tariffs” – and do not pass them on to the end users. “I will look closely – and your customers too !!!”Trump warned.
The US President probably reacted to statements by Walmart CFO John David Rainey. According to the CNBC broadcaster, he recently explained that the government’s progress was satisfied with the tariffs, but the level was still too high. Walmart will cushion some of the price increases themselves, as will the suppliers – however, consumers are likely to feel the effects according to Rainey. Bloomberg quoted him with the words that the price increases would be noticeable on the shelves in May at the latest.
Walmart symbolizes cheap prices in the USA. A significant part of the goods, such as electronics and clothing, comes directly or indirectly from China. Higher US tariffs on Chinese imports increase the cost pressure along the supply chain. This harbors political explosives – possibly also for Trump, whose regular electorate is sometimes particularly price -sensitive.
