Donald Trump signs an executive order imposing tariffs on imported goods during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025. Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images.

Uncertainty in long-term planning and higher input costs are the main challenges that companies report that they are facing in the current tariff climate, new research has found.

According to the most recent edition of GlobalData’s Tariffs Sentiment Polls survey, covering the period from April 10 to May 31, well over half (57%) of respondents identified uncertainty in long-term planning as a main challenge facing their company.

In its report accompanying the survey, GlobalData said: “The US administration’s announcement of reciprocal tariffs on April 2, 2025, followed by various postponements and revisions, has fuelled this uncertainty. President Trump’s sweeping tariffs now face legal challenges in domestic courts regarding their legitimacy, and uncertainty on this specific issue will persist until it is likely escalated to the US Supreme Court for a decision. The knock-on effect of all this uncertainty is a potential hindrance to economic growth, as businesses delay or scale back investments until the tariff situation stabilises.”

Higher input costs were cited as a significant challenge by slightly fewer – but still half of – respondents, at 50%. GlobalData notes that many companies are already facing rising expenses from tariffs on exports to the US, along with broader pricing impacts resulting from tariffs.

“These costs will only rise if currently postponed US reciprocal tariffs are implemented,” it contends.

Among the other challenges companies identified that they are facing are reduced demand from international markets (30%) and increased regulatory complexity (29%). A quarter (25%) of respondents reported that they are facing no significant challenge as a result of the current tariff landscape.

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The survey also found that tariff anxiety has fallen very slightly but remains rife, with 65% of respondents either very concerned or slightly concerned about the impact of tariffs compared to 68% in the preceding edition. The proportion of respondents who expect tariffs to negatively affect their business outlook has risen, however, from 61% to 64%.

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