Battery maker says tariffs costly to US consumers

His company imports batteries produced in China with components from the United States, China and some other countries. After final assembly in the US, the batteries are sold to various end-users from original equipment manufacturers to the federal government.

Speaking on condition of anonymity and under the pseudonym Peter, the owner of a Texas battery company discussed how the tariff dispute between the US and China has impacted his business, and ultimately US consumers' pockets.

When the US government first imposed an extra 10 percent tariff on imported batteries last summer, Peter said he was able to absorb the extra cost by negotiating a 5 percent price-reduction from Chinese manufacturers, with his company assuming the other 5 percent.