It is starting to look as though tariffs on dozens of countries and thousands of imported items will take effect this week.
Barring a last-minute change, we may soon have to pay more, especially for new cars not made in the United States and imported steel products like barbecue grills.
Signs on the door at several Cincinnati Ace Hardware stores tell shoppers to buy their Weber grills now because it claims, "Starting May 1, Weber grills will see a 10 to 20 percent price increase."
The same is happening at car dealerships, where prices could rise once the current inventory is sold.
Jason Kraus is vice president of Mike Albert Sales in Evendale, who is monitoring developments on tariffs very closely.
"The prices are going to increase soon," he said, "based on tariffs going through."
Not just imported cars could be impacted
And if the expected tariffs kick in, Kraus says they won't impact new, imported cars alone.
He says prices for used cars always follow new car trends.
"As that new price goes a little higher," he said, "there's potential that used prices increase as well."
The April 3 automobile tariffs will hit new cars manufactured outside the U.S., especially European vehicles.
However, even American-built cars, such as Hyundais or BMWs built in the U.S., may still face a partial tariff if their engine and transmission come from other countries.
Jason Kraus says that if you are in the market for a new or used car this year, it makes sense to buy sooner rather than later.
"Moving faster would probably be to your advantage," he said.
Watch car dealers and shoppers make plans for possible higher prices:
Buyers already responding
That's what some buyers are already doing.
Karen Pecke told our sister station, WXYZ in Detroit, that she decided to buy a new Subaru this week rather than wait until late spring.
"I didn't want to take a chance that this car could go up thousands of dollars," she said.
In the meantime, even if you have no plans to buy a vehicle this year, don't think you are immune to possible price hikes.
Shop owner Jeff Landrum of Ron's Service Center in Covington, KY, told us that many parts are now imported from Mexico and China, even for American-branded vehicles like Ford and Chevy.
"We've got filters, we've got wiper blades, we've got brake parts, definitely tires," Landrum explained. "A lot of things we get on a daily basis are from out of the country."
And that means your upcoming car repairs could cost more.
Most dealers say they are not raising prices on vehicles already on their lot.
But when that current inventory is gone, many analysts say new car prices could rise by $5,000 or more, and used cars could also creep up.
So you may want to move soon, so you don't waste your money.
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