Tariffs imposed by the U.S. government on imports from countries such as China, Mexico, and Canada are squeezing household budgets, leaving working and middle-class American families struggling to afford everyday essentials.
In recent months, the return and expansion of tariffs have contributed to noticeable price hikes across a wide range of imported goods, including some of the most essential commodities like groceries and fuel.
As a result, consumers are changing their shopping habits, turning to wholesale retailers and cutting back on non-essential purchases.
"Of course I'm worried, like we work really hard for everything we work for, and then just to come over here and obviously have to adjust certain things to get. We obviously see the increase of prices on everything," said Gabriel Garcia, a Los Angeles resident.
A study from the Budget Lab at Yale University found that the cost of fresh produce alone initially rose by 5.4 percent due to the tariffs, with prices stabilizing at 3.9 percent higher in the long term.
Experts warn that these increases disproportionately affect lower-income households, which spend a greater share of their income on basic necessities.
"Poor people tend to spend almost all of their income because they can't afford to do a lot of savings and as you go up and up that income ladder, more and more of income gets saved and the part that saved isn't bearing the burden of the tariff. And hopefully the tariffs will be gone by the time someone gets around to using their savings down the road. But in the meantime, we have got this effect where the share of the income that you're spending on the tariffs is going be much higher for a poor person than for a rich person," said Prof. Kimberly Clausing, a professor of tax law and policy at UCLA School of Law.
U.S. tariffs drive up household costs, squeezing working, middle-class families
U.S. tariffs drive up household costs, squeezing working, middle-class families
China closed 2025 with a record of 92 space launches and major breakthroughs were made in manned space launches, deep space exploration and commercial launches, according to the China National Space Administration.
"In 2025, we created a new launch record, sending more than 300 satellites into planned orbits. Both the number of launches and the number of payloads placed in orbit have achieved qualitative leapfrog development," said Zhu Haiyang, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
In 2025, the Shenzhou-20 crew spent 204 days in orbit, setting a new record for the longest single mission duration in the history of China's manned space program. Following the Shenzhou-20, the Shenzhou-21 achieved the fastest rendezvous and docking in the history of the Shenzhou mission in just three hours and a half.
Facing an unexpected technical situation with the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, China immediately activated emergency plans. Within 16 days, a series of maneuvers were accomplished including the launch of the Shenzhou-22 backup vehicle, presenting a "textbook model" for the international space community in effectively responding to unexpected emergencies.
In deep space exploration, the Tianwen-2 probe embarked on its journey for China's first asteroid exploration and sample-return mission in 2025.
Last year also saw intensive launch activities from multiple commercial rocket types, injecting strong momentum into the country's commercial space development.
As China has kicked off the first year of its 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030), a new blueprint for the country's space program is unfolding. Multiple tests are planned in preparation for future lunar exploration, as Chang'e-7 lunar probe is scheduled to be launched for the lunar south pole to search for evidence of water ice. The industry is also preparing for the maiden flights of several new rocket types, which will include the challenges to test rocket recovery and reusability technologies.
China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches
China closes 2025 with record 92 space launches
