A Sherwin-Williams customer claims the Trump administration’s newly implemented tariffs have already affected the cost of paint. Elected official Joe Clark (@joeclark207) uploaded a viral TikTok indicating how much he is spending now versus 12 weeks ago.
Numerous folks who replied to his video urged others to share the price hikes of items they’ve spotted in the wake of these tariffs.
More money, same product
Clark begins his video by speaking into the camera from the interior of his vehicle. “I just paid the tariff on 3 gallons of paint,” he wrote in the text overlay.
Next, he narrates the jarring pricing disparity of paint costs after just three months.
It’s a spike he attributes to specific Trump administration economic policies that began rolling out in February 2025.
“Hey, it’s Joe from Georgia. I just went to a paint store… Sherwin-Williams,” he starts. “I’m having my cabinets refinished. And I’ve got a great person doing it. And they told me at the beginning, you know. They said the paint that we’re looking at might be expensive.”
Clark said his contractor wanted the “best” for his new cabinets, so he opted for the urbane bronze gallery series.
“I said, you know what? I get a discount through my company with Sherwin-Williams. So, if you don’t mind, I’ll just pick the paint up. And of course, she was like, ‘Oh yes, sure.’”
While Clark knew he had chosen a more expensive paint, he was shocked when he tried to repurchase it. “I understand now a lot about tariffs a little better. Because they paint I got was affected by that,” he said.
Afterwards, Clark shares that the cost was $153 per gallon.
“$153 a gallon, if I didn’t have the discount through my company,” he says. He looks down at the slip of paper and reads off the 3-gallon total price with his business’s discount. “I ended up paying for three gallons of paint, $346.65.”
Paint hike
This brings the grand per gallon total of Clark’s paint, with the corporate discount, to $115.55. According to him, the cost of materials just three months prior was approximately 33% less.
Moreover, he implied that tariff costs affected his bottom line as a customer.
“Now, I bought this paint before ’cause I had all my interior doors done with it. And this was just about three months ago,” he says. “It was $78 dollars a gallon. So, I just paid the tariff. You know the tariff that we as consumers don’t pay, you know the country pays. But, you know, the same 3-gallons of paint that cost me $210 before the tariffs, $346.65.”
To close out the video, Clark then holds up his receipt to the lens.
“Oh, there’s the receipt if no one believes that,” he says. “So, have a good day.”
Is the price increase really due to tariffs?
It appears so. A March report from the Paint and Coatings Industry Magazine notes that China supplies several key ingredients in paint. These include titanium dioxide, resins, solvents, and coating additives.
The tariffs have created supply-chain disruptions that have impacted the price of paint from Sherwin-Williams and other retailers.
Who pays for tariffs?
Many have argued over who will ultimately foot the bill for these tariffs. The Tax Foundation stated that ultimately, American consumers will bear the costs of the current trade war.
In a piece speaking to these economic regulations, the outlet stated that manufacturers will roll tariff expenditures into the price of their goods. Subsequently, Americans who buy these products will pay a higher premium, along with higher taxes attached to them.
However, the Tax Policy Center says that this isn’t a unilateral market outcome. Rather, it is contingent upon the manufacturer’s decision and competitor pricing. So, domestic suppliers or one from a nation that can afford to price out rival businesses can undercut this pricing.
Additionally, some manufacturers have planned to create their food in U.S. facilities. One is Samsung, which is purportedly opening a massive operations plant in America to make its goods. Which, in turn, will create domestic jobs.
However, this news does little to help the wallets of Clark and other consumers. For instance, popular computer and accessory manufacturer Logitech has already raised the cost of its goods. This is a move that Vice writes is a direct response to the Trump administration’s tariffs.
@joeclark207 #paint ♬ original sound – joeclark207
Customers call for tariff receipts
Numerous people who responded to the video thanked Clark for sharing his experience.
One person said that they were happy their father, who supports Donald Trump, will have to pay more to operate his business. “My MAGA daddy is a painter in Georgia. We don’t speak. This made me smile. This made my day,” they said.
Another speculated that individuals who lamented the high cost of groceries under the Biden administration would excuse Trump’s tariff plan. “The people that complained nonstop about the cost of eggs being $5-$6 will be the same ones to argue that the tariff price isn’t bad,” they wrote.
Someone else said that store receipts should indicate cost increases associated with these foreign taxes. “All receipts should show the tariffs,” they said.
Another hoped others would be as vocal as Clark is about jumps in product costs. “Everyone should post on social media the cost for tariffs they pay,” they suggested.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Clark via TikTok comment and Sherwin-Williams via email for further information.
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