You've Been Warned: Trump's Tariffs Are Spiking Appliance Prices Again

New tariffs are making shoppers pay more. In June 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the price of major household appliances rose by 1.9% in June, after already rising by 4.3% in May, the biggest single-month increase since 2020. To explain what that means in real prices, Lowe's currently sells a GE 21.9-cubic-foot top-freezer refrigerator for $799. With a 1.9% rise, that same refrigerator would have cost about $784 in May, $15 less. If prices keep going up at the same rate each month through November, the cost of the same refrigerator would reach about $879. The reason for this increase can be traced back to Washington. A presidential order published on June 2025 titled "Adjusting Imports of Aluminum and Steel into the United States" raised import duties on raw metal from 25% to 50%.

Three weeks later, the Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce expanded the tariff list to include eight more finished products, such as refrigerator-freezers, washers, dryers, and dishwashers. As of June 23, 2025, any of these items brought into the country were subject to a 50% tariff, applied specifically to the steel content used in their production. According to a White House fact sheet from the same month, the higher tariffs are intended to protect U.S. manufacturers from foreign companies that lower prices and reduce production levels in the United States. As a result, appliance makers had only a few weeks to adjust their prices before the Consumer Price Index survey was conducted.

Dealers say the higher costs are already showing up in store prices. Appliance Loft told WCPO on June 24, 2025 that washers and refrigerators coming in now are priced 5% to 10% higher than the ones in stock before the tariff kicked in, and it expects prices to rise again as more shipments arrive. Whirlpool said in its April 23 2025 earnings report that earlier price adjustments helped protect its first-quarter profit margins despite the 50% duty, and it plans to keep adjusting prices to cover rising material costs.

Other manufacturers and dealers are following suit. LG raised prices for washers and refrigerators sold in the United States by about 6% on January 15 and LG senior vice president Kim I-kueon said, via Reuters in April, that the brand is ready to increase them again if the tariff remains. BSH Home Appliances raised prices for Bosch and Thermador kitchen products by 3% to 7% starting January 1. Dealer updates also show that GE, the U.S appliance company owned by China, scheduled a new national price list for June 30. It looks bad, still, shoppers can look for deals on kitchen appliances at stores like Aldi, which occasionally carries limited-run models at lower prices. At the same time, they can avoid kitchen appliances at retailers like Costco, known for higher markups.

Another way to avoid these markups is to make purchases before Labor Day, using the sales of 2024 as a model. In that year, Home Depot ran a pre-holiday sale starting August 22, offering up to 30% off, according to ABC News. During that sale, a GE stainless steel dishwasher dropped to $438 from $729, and a Haier counter-depth French-door fridge went down to $999 from $1,599. The promotion ended on Labor Day weekend. Lowe's responded with its own sale through August 21, offering up to 35% off. That included a 27.7-cubic-foot GE French-door refrigerator marked down to $1,999 from $3,299, and a Samsung smart range cut to $749 from $1,099.

If the Labor Day sales pass you by, Consumer Reports states that you can save around 50% on scratch-and-dent appliances that still come with full warranties and Best Buy Outlet listings support that. An LG 27.7-cubic-foot French-door refrigerator is priced at $1,699, down $1,300 from the original price, with open-box versions starting at $1,274. A KitchenAid 19.8-cubic-foot model is listed at $1,999, a savings of $1,060. Asides from this, Home Depot is offering an "Instantly Save up to $400" deal on GE, Café, and Profile appliance packages, along with an extra $100 off washer and dryer pairs. Both offers are available through July 30, 2025. Best Buy is also giving extra discounts to Plus and Total members, with savings of $500 to $1,000 on GE Profile sets.