> Huh? It's not the manufacturers paying the tariffs, its the importer? US tariffs do not affect the margins of the manufacturer.

This is a case of second-order effects[0].

See this post[1] for details.

0 - https://research.gatech.edu/blind-spot-big-decisions-why-sec...

1 - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46144761