FACT BRIEFHave the Liberation Day tariffs raised prices in the Western US?
Yes.
Prices of consumer goods across the U.S. have risen as a result of the Liberation Day tariffs announced in April 2025.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures how the price of a representative “basket” of goods — food, housing, transportation, medical care, apparel, entertainment, etc. — changes over time. In July 2025, CPI was 2.7% higher than a year prior.
For the Western region of the U.S., which includes Nevada, the CPI rose by 3% between July 2024 and July 2025.
The Yale Budget Lab estimates the Liberation Day tariffs are responsible for a 1.8% increase in price levels, costing households $2,400 on average.
A baseline 10% tariff, or tax on imported goods, took effect in early April 2025, with further tariffs enacted in early August 2025.
The Liberation Day tariffs are the highest tariffs enacted in the U.S. since the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act.
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Summary: August 12, 2025
- Yale Budget Lab State of U.S. Tariffs: August 1, 2025
- BBC What tariffs has Trump announced and why?
- Center for Strategic and International Studies “Liberation Day” Tariffs Explained
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