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Local shoppers, economic expert respond to President Trump's China tariffs

Some of your favorite items just got a little more expensive Monday, when President Trump imposed a 10% tax on hundreds of products that are made in China.

Action News Jax reporter Courtney Cole spoke to an economics professor at the University of North Florida to find out how this could affect people on both sides of the cash register.

Thousands of products that you use every day are made in China.

But the next time you buy one of them, you could have to reach a little deeper into your wallet.

MORE: China says Washington asks to resume talks on tariff fightWhat is a tariff, and why should you be worried about it?

On Monday,  President Trump slapped a 10%  tax on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods imported into the U.S.

This is in addition to the $50 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese goods that went into effect in August.

Russell Triplett, an assistant professor of economics at UNF,  said that the longer the tariff's are in place, the more they could create a drag on our economy.

“I think, initially, many retailers will be faced with the choice of how much of the new tariff to absorb, how much to try to hold back from raising prices, so as not to lose customers, so as not to hurt their clients,” Triplett told Action News Jax.

When Cole spoke to shoppers, they had mixed reactions to the new tax.

"I don't think anything can come out good. It just puts more on us over here in the United States, paying more for different things, you know?" said Robert Jones.

"It would definitely change my shopping habit,” Sonja Gomez told Action News Jax.

"I think American goods are better quality anyway,” said William Smith.

Triplett said the tariff is only one way to address the trade issues the U.S. has with China, but he doesn't think it's the best way.

"I think it's important to point out that tariffs are an especially regressive tax. They will affect the lowest income households and the lowest-income consumers in a far more extreme way than they will the highest-income household and consumers. So I think they're an especially costly and bad way to address those differences with China,'" said Triplett.

If the administration does not reach a truce with Beijing, Trump’s import tax will jump to 25% in 2019.