America's Trade War Is Sure to Impact the Hobbies of People

It feels personal because it will drive up costs that matter to citizens

- Natalie Schriefer

Despite the White House declaring a 90-day pause on some of its reciprocal tariffs, many CEOs are still bracing for a recession. Some companies have paused orders or reduced production due to uncertainty: President Donald Trump raised US duty on China to 145% after increasing it to 125% just the day before [and then gave some categories temporary relief]. Business owners and investors have said that they can't plan for these next three months when it's difficult to predict the administration's next move.

But people in corporate America aren't the only ones discussing the consequences of this policy. The word "tariff" has entered teenage group chats and lifestyle influencer content, and it has triggered a flood of explainer videos on TikTok. One reason this trade war feels all-encompassing in ways that we may not have seen before comes down to another word: hobbies.

Politics can often feel distant to the average American, but hobbies are a prominent part of almost everyone's life. In a 2024 survey by market research company aytm, 85% of respondents reported having at least one. A 2024 Statista survey of 60,000 people found that the combined category of cooking and baking was the most popular hobby for Americans—41% of respondents chose it. Other highly ranked activities included reading (35%), spending time with pets and playing video games (both of which came in at 34%).