An article on YCharts shared details on industries that could benefit from trade policies with higher tariffs. While announcements of trade tariffs have impacted the stock market throughout 2025, concerns persist that they could disrupt certain industries.
According to a recent survey by MarketWatch Guides, 51% of Americans have a side gig, with the top reason being to increase savings (27%), followed by the next most common reason, which is to afford everyday expenses (24%).
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While it’s clear that Americans are turning to side hustles to get by financially, the harsh reality is that some gigs could struggle with economic issues caused by high tariffs. This is why we will share five side gigs that could benefit from a high-tariff economy.
1. Repair Services
A high-tariff economy would create opportunities for individuals skilled in repair and maintenance, as people would be more likely to spend money on servicing a high-ticket item than on replacing it outright.
“Things break, and it may be more worth it with tariffs to repair what is broken rather than buy a new one with a tariff-elevated price attached,” said Bobbi Rebell, a certified financial planner (CFP) and personal finance expert at CardRates.com. “If you have the skills or can learn the skills to fix items that are broken, you’ll be in high demand.”
Some examples of services you could offer include repairing clothing, musical instruments, electronics, furniture, bikes, and even luggage. You can also add random home maintenance services to the list if you can offer services on a platform like TaskRabbit.
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“The fact is, high prices would keep consumers discouraged from making new purchases for as long as they can, and this means they’ll become less willing to throw out functional items that only require minor repairs,” remarked Aaron Razon, a personal finance expert at Couponsnake.
If you can list your repair services on a local marketplace or start building your own business, then you’ll be well-positioned to profit from a high-tariff economy.
2. Selling Homemade Items
“A high-tariff economy creates the perfect opportunity and market for homemade items like decorative ornaments, handcrafted jewelry, customized home decor and children’s toys and games to thrive,” said Razon.
As imported goods become more expensive, consumers may be on the lookout for local alternatives, where importation costs wouldn’t be factored into the price. If you can create handmade items or household goods, this would be an attractive side hustle during a high-tariff economy.
You can try listing products on a platform like Etsy to see if there’s any demand at the moment. With high tariffs, consumers are likely to turn to locally-made items for gifts and household purchases. If you’re not artistic or don’t possess design skills, you can take some time in advance to get familiar with editing tools like Canva to help you get started.
3. Reselling Items
“Tariffs would make bringing new things into the country more expensive, which makes things already here more valuable if they can be had at a lower price, even if they’re second-hand,” remarked Rebell.
Thrifting to resell or selling items you already own could become a lucrative side hustle when the costs of imported items rise. With platforms like Facebook Marketplace, Depop and Poshmark, to name a few, there are numerous options for reselling items, ranging from clothing to furniture.
“Start with your own closet, but you can also find things to resell at thrift stores, estate sales and even places like Facebook marketplace,” Rebell elaborated.
The best part of this side hustle is that there are almost no startup costs, and anyone can get started by simply creating a listing. You could turn items that you no longer use around the house into profit and start making money in minutes.
4. Pet Care
Regardless of what happens in the economy, pet owners have to care for their furry friends. If Americans are forced to work longer hours or they find themselves with a side hustle, they’ll have to pay someone to check in on their dog and take them for walks. You could turn dog walking into a profitable venture on a platform like Rover or by listing your services in a local group.
5. Teaching Skills
Razon pointed out how learning repair skills could become a highly sought business in and of itself.
For example, if demand for auto mechanics increases, so will demand for instructors who teach those skills. There will be people looking to figure out how to make repairs and fix things on their own to save money. If they don’t have these skills, they may want to consider seeking help to learn them.
While tariffs will increase the prices of some goods, they may also open up new opportunities for those seeking side gigs. It’s nearly impossible to predict the future of the employment market, but it’s evident that some side hustles could be in higher demand in a high-tariff environment.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Side Gigs That Could Benefit From a High-Tariff Economy
