German Firms in U.S. Shift Tariff Pain to U.S. Consumers

(MENAFN) More than two-thirds of German companies operating in the United States have passed higher import costs — driven by U.S. tariffs — directly onto American consumers through price increases, according to a survey released Friday by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK).

The wide-ranging survey, which polled more than 4,500 German companies across global markets, found that businesses with U.S. operations continued to identify trade barriers and policy unpredictability as among their most pressing commercial risks.

Business confidence showed modest signs of recovery following last year's tariff shock, with 43 percent of U.S.-based respondents rating current conditions as good — up from 39 percent recorded in autumn 2025. Nevertheless, the DIHK cautioned that the figure still trails the long-term average for U.S. operations.

The broader economic outlook for the United States remained cautious. Some 30 percent of surveyed companies expected local conditions to worsen over the next twelve months, while only 24 percent foresaw improvement ahead.

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