The imposition of new tariffs by President Trump on Vietnam, China, and Indonesia is expected to cause an increase in prices for Nike Jordan and Adidas Samba sneakers in the U.S. Following the announcement, shares for major brands like Nike and Adidas dropped significantly. Analysts predict that the tariffs could drive the average import tariff rate for U.S. apparel to over 30%. Retailers may struggle to absorb costs, potentially requiring price hikes of 10% to 12% for consumers.
"The April 2 tariffs seem purpose-built to hobble the apparel industry," said Dylan Carden, an analyst at William Blair in Chicago.
The new tariffs would increase the average U.S. import tariff rate on apparel from 14.5% in 2024 to 30.6%, according to calculations by Sheng Lu, professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware.
Retailers may not be able to fully offset these tariffs, as countering the impact of the levies on Vietnam alone would require price increases of 10% to 12%, according to UBS analysts.
With additional tariffs proposed across other key Asian sourcing hubs, the scenario of shifting production now looks far less viable, narrowing the set of effective mitigation levers available to brands.
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