The Federal Reserve (FED) Barkin: Not all companies can raise prices due to tariffs.

On May 9, the Federal Reserve's Barkin said that not all companies can raise prices to offset the cost of tariffs, and he warned that after years of inflation, consumer tolerance is low. "What I've heard from retailers is that consumers are strapped for cash," Barkin said. "It means that it's not as easy for you to pass on the price to the consumer as you think." Barkin still believes that the U.S. economy is in good shape. Consumer spending and business investment remain solid, he added. He noted that while consumer confidence indicators are clearly weak, this has not yet weighed on spending. Barkin said he was considering whether tariffs would slow economic growth to the point where inflation could be tampered. That was the experience of 2008, he said, but there were other times when it didn't happen.