Tariffs now a long-term planning reality
Executives increasingly treat tariffs as a permanent part of planning, according to a PwC survey cited in coverage, and a CFO Council poll found companies are unlikely to pass tariff refunds through to consumers. Those twin findings suggest firms may bake higher landed costs into offers while retaining any future refunds rather than lowering retail prices. (businessinsider.com, cnbc.com)
Tariffs are no longer a short-term disruption for many United States companies; they are being built into budgets, pricing, and sourcing plans for years ahead. (aol.com) PwC said 86% of 633 United States executives surveyed in March 2026 now treat tariffs as a “permanent planning assumption.” The firm published those results on April 13 in its “Executive views on policy, risk, and growth” survey. (pwc.com, aol.com) A separate CNBC Chief Financial Officer Council survey found 12 of 25 finance chiefs said their companies plan to seek tariff refunds after recent court rulings, but none said they would directly share that money with customers. CNBC reported the survey after responses were collected from March 23 to April 2. (cnbc.com, europesays.com) That combination points to a simple shift in how tariffs are handled inside companies: higher import costs are being treated like a standing cost of doing business, not a temporary surcharge. If refunds arrive later, the importer of record gets the money under United States trade law, not the shopper at the cash register. (truthout.org, cnbc.com) Recent court action helped set up the refund question. CNBC reported that the Supreme Court struck down a large part of President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda, and a judge later ordered the government to prepare for potentially billions of dollars in repayments to importers while the legal fight continues. (cnbc.com) Other business surveys show companies were already moving in this direction before any refunds were discussed. KPMG said in February 2026 that 78% of respondents were seeing higher cost of goods sold, 51% were facing margin declines, and 55% planned price increases of up to 15% in the next six months. (kpmg.com) KPMG also found 34% of organizations were passing through 51% to 100% of tariff-related costs in February 2026, up from 13% in May 2025. In the same survey, 68% said tariffs had delayed major investments, including 20% that pushed projects back by 13 to 24 months or more. (kpmg.com) Economists and tax analysts have also kept pointing to the consumer effect. The Tax Foundation estimated the 2026 Trump tariffs amount to an average tax increase of $700 per United States household this year. (taxfoundation.org) Companies still have reasons to keep any refund rather than cut prices. Many have already signed supply contracts, reset price lists, absorbed margin hits, or spent money to move sourcing and inventory, which means a refund can repair past costs without changing the shelf price in front of consumers. (kpmg.com, cnbc.com) The practical result is that tariffs are increasingly being treated less like an emergency and more like a line item. Even if courts unwind part of the policy later, the prices and plans built around it may stay in place. (pwc.com, cnbc.com)
