Tariffs applied as part of the larger U.S.-China trade war have impacted housing prices, according to economists, by increasing the price of raw materials. | Shutterstock

New and soon-to-hit tariffs on Chinese goods amount to a ?$2.5 billion tax on housing? The current U.S-China trade war?and the tariffs-by-tweet that have shaken global markets? have impacted industries across the economy as companies try to navigate new tariffs, pricing, and even requests to adjust their supply chains.
The housing, home renovation, and even real estate market aren?t immune to these pressures. As Vox reported, President Trump announced an additional 10 percent tariff on $300 billion in Chinese products in August, set to start September 1. When combined with previous tariffs, it effectively taxes nearly all Chinese goods. As the administration continues to discuss levying new tariffs as part of its ongoing dispute with China, the escalating trade war is already touching many of the raw materials the housing industry depends on; the current 25 percent tariff on imported building material that went in effect in May has been called a ?$2.5 billion tax on housing? by the National Association of Home Builders. Trump has said he wants to raise this tariff an additional 5 percent, but the increase didn?t appear in the latest notice from the Unites States Trade Representative, which precedes any policy shift.
?Additional tariffs on a country like China, where we get many of our constructio...