6 Services That Won’t Raise Their Prices Despite Tariffs
Written by
Angela Mae
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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There’s been a lot of talk about tariffs lately. Tariffs — the taxes on goods from other countries — have their upsides. But they can also make everyday products much more expensive (and less affordable) for the average consumer.
Take a 10% tariff on a $10 item. That tariff would add $1 in taxes, making the total cost $11. A 145% tariff — which President Donald Trump has recently put on many Chinese goods, according to Reuters — would make that same item $24.50.
If you’re worried about tariffs, there’s good news. Experts think the prices of some services and goods won’t change even with tariff hikes.
When it comes to products, though, here are items you should stock up on now.
Mobile Apps
Most digital services and products wouldn’t be impacted by tariffs — at least not directly. This includes mobile apps.
“Unlike physical goods, apps don’t require shipping, raw materials or manufacturing overseas, so no extra costs are added when crossing borders,” said Gary Gray, personal finance expert and co-founder of CouponChief.
Streaming Subscriptions
Similarly, streaming services — like Netflix or Disney+ — shouldn’t raise their prices, at least not as a direct result of tariffs. That doesn’t mean prices won’t change for other reasons, though.
For example, NPR reported that Netflix increased its prices just a few months ago. The prices were $7.99 (standard with ads), $17.99 (without ads) or $24.99 (premium). This is a $1, $2.50 and $2 price increase, respectively. This price hike comes off another increase, which occurred only a few months prior.
Pet Travel Services
If you’re a traveler (and you have pets that travel with you), there’s good news. Pet travel services are more or less tariff-free.
“You can provide some assistance to pet owners who want to plan pet travel without the cost of importing their pets into the U.S.,” Gray said. “There are no tariffs as long as an adequate health check has been performed.”
Digital Dropshipping
Again, since it’s digital, dropshipping shouldn’t raise its prices even as tariffs go up.
“Since you’re selling digital products like eBooks, software, or online courses, there are no shipping or raw material costs to worry about,” Gray added.
Local Services
Local services — like dry cleaning or fitness classes — are also generally exempt from tariffs.
“Tariffs only hit imported goods, so local services like your barber, your accountant, your dog groomer — aren’t affected,” said Joseph Camberato, CEO of National Business Capital. “You shouldn’t see any price jumps there.”
That said, the cost of materials for some of these services could rise. And that could result in more money out of your pocket.
“Where it gets tricky is with service jobs that use a lot of equipment or materials. Let’s take HVAC, for example,” Camberato said. “The labor costs probably won’t budge, but if you need to install a new unit? That’s where tariffs could kick in. If the equipment is made overseas, you will likely pay more. If it’s made here, you’re in the clear.”
Some Not-for-Profit Medical Services
Tariffs could cause the cost of health or medical services to skyrocket, particularly when you consider that many medical supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals come in from overseas.
But a few areas might not be impacted (or at least not as much).
“If you consider healthcare settings that are not-for-profit (approximately 30% of nursing homes and 60% of hospitals), they could possibly side step the increases if they could somehow keep prices the same and still have to cover their overhead costs,” said David Navazio, CEO of Gentell.
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