# How a tariff ends up in a price tag

> A process map exported from forks.world (https://forks.world). Author: Brian. Source: https://forks.world/p/cmv0kplxp002kjn0662p2ydgs
> It describes who does what, in what order, and with which technology. Read the plain-language sections first; the JSON at the end is the exact, complete data.

## Summary

- 14 steps across 1 layer
- Persona: The government, The importer, The retailer, The consumer, Other countries and domestic makers

## Pain points

Where this process hurts, worst first:

- **Find another country or a domestic supplier** (How a tariff ends up in a price tag; painful): Switching takes time and may cost more at first
- **Revenue, jobs and prices are weighed** (How a tariff ends up in a price tag; painful): Economists, businesses and voters disagree on who ends up paying and who benefits

## How to read this file

- A process is made of **layers**. The main layer is the top level; any step of kind `subprocess` opens a detail layer with its own lanes and steps.
- **Lanes** are either persona (people/roles) or technology (systems). Each step belongs to one lane; `using` lists tools a person uses for that step.
- Step kinds: `start`, `task`, `decision` (its arrows carry the answer as a label), `subprocess`, `end`.

## How a tariff ends up in a price tag

Lanes:
- The government: person / role (id `gov`)
- The importer: person / role (id `importer`)
- The retailer: person / role (id `retail`)
- The consumer: person / role (id `buyer`)
- Other countries and domestic makers: person / role (id `rivals`)

Steps, in the order they run:

1. **A tariff is announced on a type of import** [start; The government; id `t1`]
   - then The importer pays the tax at the border
2. **The importer pays the tax at the border** [task; The importer; id `t2`]
   - then Absorb it, raise prices or change suppliers?
3. **Absorb it, raise prices or change suppliers?** [decision; The importer; id `t3`]
   - if "Absorb it" go to A smaller profit; if "Raise prices" go to The retailer decides how much to pass on; if "Switch suppliers" go to Find another country or a domestic supplier
4. **A smaller profit** [task; The importer; id `t4`]
   - then Prices go up, or choices change
5. **Prices go up, or choices change** [task; The consumer; id `t7`]
   - then Buy less, substitute or pay more
6. **Buy less, substitute or pay more** [task; The consumer; id `t8`]
   - then Domestic makers may sell more; other countries may retaliate
7. **Domestic makers may sell more; other countries may retaliate** [task; Other countries and domestic makers; id `t9`]
   - then Revenue, jobs and prices are weighed
8. **Revenue, jobs and prices are weighed** [task; The government; id `t10`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Economists, businesses and voters disagree on who ends up paying and who benefits
   - then Keep, change or remove the tariff?
9. **Keep, change or remove the tariff?** [decision; The government; id `t11`]
   - if "Keep it" go to It stays in place; if "Change it" go to It is adjusted: new rates or exemptions; if "Remove it" go to It ends
10. **It stays in place** [end; The government; id `t12`]
11. **It is adjusted: new rates or exemptions** [end; The government; id `t13`]
12. **It ends** [end; The government; id `t14`]
13. **The retailer decides how much to pass on** [task; The retailer; id `t5`]
   - then Prices go up, or choices change
14. **Find another country or a domestic supplier** [task; The importer; id `t6`] ⚠ PAIN POINT (painful): Switching takes time and may cost more at first
   - then Prices go up, or choices change

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  subgraph l_gov["The government"]
    n_t1(["A tariff is announced on a type of import"])
    n_t10["Revenue, jobs and prices are weighed"]
    n_t11{"Keep, change or remove the tariff?"}
    n_t12(["It stays in place"])
    n_t13(["It is adjusted: new rates or exemptions"])
    n_t14(["It ends"])
  end
  subgraph l_importer["The importer"]
    n_t2["The importer pays the tax at the border"]
    n_t3{"Absorb it, raise prices or change suppliers?"}
    n_t4["A smaller profit"]
    n_t6["Find another country or a domestic supplier"]
  end
  subgraph l_retail["The retailer"]
    n_t5["The retailer decides how much to pass on"]
  end
  subgraph l_buyer["The consumer"]
    n_t7["Prices go up, or choices change"]
    n_t8["Buy less, substitute or pay more"]
  end
  subgraph l_rivals["Other countries and domestic makers"]
    n_t9["Domestic makers may sell more; other countries may retaliate"]
  end
  n_t1 --> n_t2
  n_t2 --> n_t3
  n_t3 -->|"Absorb it"| n_t4
  n_t3 -->|"Raise prices"| n_t5
  n_t3 -->|"Switch suppliers"| n_t6
  n_t4 --> n_t7
  n_t5 --> n_t7
  n_t6 --> n_t7
  n_t7 --> n_t8
  n_t8 --> n_t9
  n_t9 --> n_t10
  n_t10 --> n_t11
  n_t11 -->|"Keep it"| n_t12
  n_t11 -->|"Change it"| n_t13
  n_t11 -->|"Remove it"| n_t14
```

## Full data (JSON)

```json
{
  "title": "How a tariff ends up in a price tag",
  "maps": {
    "m_root": {
      "id": "m_root",
      "lanes": [
        {
          "id": "gov",
          "name": "The government",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "importer",
          "name": "The importer",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "retail",
          "name": "The retailer",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "buyer",
          "name": "The consumer",
          "type": "person"
        },
        {
          "id": "rivals",
          "name": "Other countries and domestic makers",
          "type": "person"
        }
      ],
      "steps": [
        {
          "id": "t1",
          "kind": "start",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t2"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "A tariff is announced on a type of import"
        },
        {
          "id": "t2",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "importer",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t3"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The importer pays the tax at the border"
        },
        {
          "id": "t3",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "importer",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t4",
              "label": "Absorb it"
            },
            {
              "to": "t5",
              "label": "Raise prices"
            },
            {
              "to": "t6",
              "label": "Switch suppliers"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Absorb it, raise prices or change suppliers?"
        },
        {
          "id": "t4",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "importer",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "A smaller profit"
        },
        {
          "id": "t5",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "retail",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t7"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "The retailer decides how much to pass on"
        },
        {
          "id": "t6",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "importer",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t7"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "Switching takes time and may cost more at first",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Find another country or a domestic supplier"
        },
        {
          "id": "t7",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "buyer",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t8"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Prices go up, or choices change"
        },
        {
          "id": "t8",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "buyer",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t9"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Buy less, substitute or pay more"
        },
        {
          "id": "t9",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "rivals",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t10"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Domestic makers may sell more; other countries may retaliate"
        },
        {
          "id": "t10",
          "kind": "task",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t11"
            }
          ],
          "pain": {
            "note": "Economists, businesses and voters disagree on who ends up paying and who benefits",
            "level": 2
          },
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Revenue, jobs and prices are weighed"
        },
        {
          "id": "t11",
          "kind": "decision",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [
            {
              "to": "t12",
              "label": "Keep it"
            },
            {
              "to": "t13",
              "label": "Change it"
            },
            {
              "to": "t14",
              "label": "Remove it"
            }
          ],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "Keep, change or remove the tariff?"
        },
        {
          "id": "t12",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It stays in place"
        },
        {
          "id": "t13",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It is adjusted: new rates or exemptions"
        },
        {
          "id": "t14",
          "kind": "end",
          "lane": "gov",
          "next": [],
          "uses": [],
          "label": "It ends"
        }
      ],
      "title": "How a tariff ends up in a price tag",
      "parent": null
    }
  }
}
```