��������

Americans�� confidence in the economy slumped for the fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as anxiety over the impact of tariffs takes a heavy toll.Since the Trump administration hiked tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% earlier this month, small business owners who rely on those imports have grown increasingly desperate, watching their inventories shrink and costs soar.In Alexandria, Virginia, Amy Rutherford, owner of Pippin Toy Co., says the uncertainty feels eerily familiar to the pandemic.“We are seeing pandemic-level crises right now,�� Rutherford said. “The uncertainty is real. We don’t know how to plan right now. Every day is new.”She’s already facing gaps on her shelves. One of her best-selling toys �� a product called Zimbbos �� is out of stock with no clear timeline for its return.“We don’t know when it’s going to return, and again, we don’t know what it’s going to cost when it returns,�� she said.The concerns are being echoed in corporate boardrooms. Executives at Home Depot, Target, and Walmart have reportedly raised alarm bells directly with the president, warning that new tariffs could snarl supply chains and drive up prices across the board.President Trump said Tuesday that he personally called Amazon founder Jeff Bezos after reports suggested the platform might start listing tariff-related costs next to product prices.“Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific,�� Trump said. “He solved the problem very quickly�� he did the right thing.”Amazon denied the report �� but not before the White House criticized the company publicly during its morning briefing.Experts say the warnings of pandemic style shortages shouldn’t be taken lightly.“That is quite possible,�� said Dr. Sunderesh Heragu, a professor at Oklahoma State University, when asked whether the country could see a return to COVID-style supply disruptions. “The extent, we do not know. Every day there seems to be a change in the type of policy there is.”Online retailers have already begun making adjustments as a result of tariffs. Chinese e-commerce giants Shein and Temu are now tacking on new surcharges for U.S. shoppers. Meanwhile, many third-party sellers on Amazon are quietly raising prices.Back in Virginia, Rutherford is urging her customers to act early as uncertainty grows ahead of the holiday season.“You don’t have to buy Christmas now. But if you see it, buy it when you see it,�� she said. “Because you don’t know what that cost is going to be later.”The economic effects could become clearer soon: new reports on GDP and consumer spending are expected Wednesday, followed by the April jobs report on Friday.When pressed about any progress on trade negotiations, White House officials pointed to India as the closest to a breakthrough.“I think that we are very close on India,�� Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “I could see the contours of a deal with the Republic of Korea coming together, and then we've had substantial talks with the Japanese.”So far, no formal trade agreements have been announced.