Tariffs are sticky

American executives are starting to price tariffs in as a lasting cost, not a short-term disruption. (finance.yahoo.com) In a PwC survey of 633 United States executives conducted in March 2026, 86% said they were treating tariffs as a permanent planning assumption. PwC partner Kristin Bohl told Fortune that chief executives are no longer planning around “short-term tariffs.” (finance.yahoo.com) That view hardened even after the Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on February 20, 2026. President Donald Trump then used Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 to impose a temporary import surcharge that took effect on February 24 and can run for 150 days, through July 24, 2026. (cbo.gov) (whitehouse.gov) Older tariffs never went away. Section 301 tariffs first imposed in 2018 are still in effect, and Congressional Budget Office projections published in February said higher tariffs would reduce deficits by an estimated $3.0 trillion over the 2026 to 2035 period. (finance.yahoo.com) (cbo.gov) The budget math helps explain why companies do not expect a quick reset. Before the court ruling, the Congressional Budget Office projected more than $4 trillion in customs duties over the next decade, making tariffs a meaningful federal revenue stream rather than a brief negotiating tactic. (finance.yahoo.com) (cbo.gov) After the Supreme Court decision, the Congressional Budget Office said ending the International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs would make deficits $2.0 trillion larger over 2026 to 2036. The office also said those tariffs had accounted for roughly half of the approximately $300 billion in customs duties collected between January 2025 and February 20, 2026. (cbo.gov) Companies are still trying to recover money already paid. United States Customs and Border Protection said it is building an automated refund system for duties collected under the struck-down law, and Reuters reported on April 14 that the system is set to launch on April 20. (cbp.gov) (msn.com) PwC’s broader 2026 Global Chief Executive Officer Survey shows why tariff costs land in an already strained boardroom. Only 30% of chief executives said they were confident about revenue growth over the next 12 months, down from 38% in 2025, in a survey of 4,454 chief executives across 95 countries and territories. (pwc.com) The result is a shift from waiting to adapting. PwC told Fortune that companies pulling ahead are building tariffs into pricing, supply chains, and operating models on the assumption that the import-tax regime will keep changing, but not disappear. (finance.yahoo.com)