My Rihanna bra haul tells you all you need to know about Trump's tariffs | Opinion
Trump will deny his tariffs are going to cost us a lot more – even as they do so. The cost of so-called liberation ought to be crystal clear, whether you're buying a car, TV or eight basic brassieres.
President Donald Trump's advisers could learn a few economic principles from Rihanna and the folks behind one of her well-known business ventures.
RiRi sure got my attention Wednesday, Trump's so-called Liberation Day. I wasn't in the market for a new car, TV or any other big-ticket item when I started my online search. What I needed was underwear – namely, and as old school jokesters called them, "over the shoulder boulder holders."
Nothing fancy, nothing expensive. Just a couple of new bras.
I found what I needed on the website of Rihanna's lingerie brand, Savage X Fenty.
Rihanna explains the impact of tariffs
In case you didn't know, Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a business mogul.
The Barbadian singer has not made an album since 2016's "Anti," but she has sold a lot of units.
Her goods include underwear and sports apparel through Savage X Fenty. That company offers paid memberships that grant discount credits each month. I had a lot of credits saved up.
The whole thing is a little ridiculous (new underwear each and every month seems like an avalanche of underwear), but I've found what seems good deals.
That was the case on Liberation Day.
With eight bras in my virtual cart – they were essentially two for the price of one – I went to check out.
I saw "tariff" – Trump's favorite word – right away, but thought there must be a mistake. Surely, Lavender Lingerie GmbH, the German-based company that operates as Savage X Fenty, wouldn't act like every other business and pass the cost of the president's tariffs on to the consumer.
Surely, every economist and person who understands how tariffs work was wrong.
As everyone who understands basic economic principles could tell you, they surely weren't wrong.
Savage X Fenty was transparent about it, offering customers an explanation: "Please be advised that tariffs on fashion goods continue to apply and make products more expensive, including those imported from China. While many retailers raise their prices to offset the increase, we've added an 8.75% surcharge to your purchase and are covering the remainder of the cost ourselves to minimize impact to our customers. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work towards offering you the best value possible."
The deal was definitely better before Trump put his higher tariff all over Rihanna's bras and undies. Yikes.
How did we get here?
The president on Wednesday placed a 10% minimum tariff on all imports and even higher tariffs on the European Union and other American trading partners like China.
On Friday, China announced a reciprocal 34% tariff on all imports from the United States. On Monday, Trump threatened China with an additional 50% tariff in retaliation.
I much prefer the 8.75% tariff I paid for my bras to the total 60% tariff rate an economist told CBS News has been imposed on Chinese goods. Still, the rate I paid isn't insignificant.
For my bra haul, it meant a $26.20 tariff on top of the $26.10 tax for a grand total of $52.30 smackaroos.
Trump's trade war will hit our wallets hardest
As the trade war continues, more Americans will feel the impact of Liberation Day.
Most companies won't be as transparent as Savage X Fenty, a company that may have learned a lesson when it had to pay $1.2 million to settle a consumer protection lawsuit for misleading consumers in 2022.
Companies should follow Ms. Fenty's example. The cost of so-called liberation ought to be crystal clear, whether you are buying a car, TV or eight basic brassieres.
Trump will deny that his tariffs are going to cost most of us a lot more even as they are costing us a lot more.
Voters, like lingerie shoppers, deserve to see what America bought on Election Day.
Amelia Robinson is the opinion and community engagement editor for the Columbus Dispatch, where this column originally appeared.