Recent research breaks down the real tariff burden pretty clearly: foreign companies are absorbing only about 4% of the hit, while a staggering 96% gets passed straight to American consumers. So here's the thing—tariffs that look good on policy papers actually show up in your shopping bill. This matters for anyone watching inflation trends and consumer spending patterns. When costs rise at the checkout, it ripples through everything: household budgets tighten, demand shifts, and markets adjust. For crypto investors tracking macro trends, this kind of economic pressure often correlates with how people allocate between traditional assets and alternative investments.