Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?
Published . Updated .
Explore the growing role of tariffs in national security, industrial strategy and geopolitical positioning.
Directly affected
- No company is named in this report.
Indirectly affected
- XLI Industrial Select Sector SPDR+0.2% 30d
Industrial Select Sector SPDR: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.
- XRT SPDR S&P Retail ETF
SPDR S&P Retail ETF: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.
- ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF+0.3% 30d
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF: it holds defense and aerospace contractors. Linked by “army” (defense) in this story.
- EWL iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF
iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF holds stocks listed in Switzerland, which this story is about (“swiss”).
- CAT Caterpillar-20.0% 30d
Caterpillar (construction machinery and equip): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.
- DE Deere-3.2% 30d
Deere (farm machinery and equipment): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.
- WMT Walmart+13.7% 30d
Walmart (variety stores): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.
- NKE Nike+8.1% 30d
Nike (rubber and plastics footwear): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story.
Price reaction, T-5 to T+3
| Ticker | T-5 | T-3 | T-1 | T0 | T+1 | T+2 | T+3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XLINo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| XRTNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ITA | -1.26% | -0.97% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
| EWLNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CATNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DENo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WMTNo price data for this ticker | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NKE | -2.04% | -3.94% | base | after close | after close | after close | after close |
Closing-price change versus T-1, the last close before the story. T0 to T+3 fill in after each market close. Prices: Alpaca IEX.
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Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives? kpmg.com
Source: kpmg.com
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI) since this story, compared with the market
| Company | When | Move | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) | three days earlier | -0.97% | final price |
| IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) | five days earlier | -1.26% | final price |
| Nike (NKE) | three days earlier | -3.94% | final price |
| Nike (NKE) | five days earlier | -2.04% | final price |
Trades by members of Congress and officials in the stocks in this story
- Rep. Lisa McClain bought Caterpillar (CAT) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 28 Sep 2026. That is 33 days before publication. Filed 12 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Pete Sessions sold Walmart (WMT) (held by a spouse), worth $50,001 - $100,000 on 2 Oct 2026. That is 29 days before publication. Filed 27 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Jonathan Jackson sold Walmart (WMT) (jointly held), worth $50,001 - $100,000 on 28 Sep 2026. That is 33 days before publication. Filed 19 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Rohit Khanna bought Walmart (WMT) (held by a spouse), worth $1,001 - $15,000 on 25 Sep 2026. That is 36 days before publication. Filed 7 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, bought Nike (NKE), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 28 Aug 2026. That is 64 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
- Rep. Gilbert Cisneros sold Nike (NKE), worth $15,001 - $50,000 on 27 Aug 2026. That is 65 days before publication. Filed 10 Sep 2026. View the filing.
- Donald J Trump, an executive branch official, sold Nike (NKE), worth $100,001 - $250,000 on 21 Aug 2026. That is 71 days before publication. Filed 8 Oct 2026. View the filing.
Public disclosure filings, not a recommendation. The filing link is the source document. News use of these reports still sits under 5 U.S.C. § 13107(c).
Who gains and who loses around Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)
Companies tied to this story
- XLI Select Sector Spdr Tr
Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 31 Oct 2026 story “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?.” Reason on file: Industrial Select Sector SPDR: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story
- XRT Spdr Series Trust
For “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?,” Spdr Series Trust (XRT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: SPDR S&P Retail ETF: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story
- ITA IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF
IShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 31 Oct 2026 story “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?.” Reason on file: iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF: it holds defense and aerospace contractors. Linked by “army” (defense) in this story
- EWL Ishares
Ishares (EWL) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 31 Oct 2026 story “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?.” Reason on file: iShares MSCI Switzerland ETF holds stocks listed in Switzerland, which this story is about (“swiss”)
- CAT Caterpillar
Caterpillar (CAT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 31 Oct 2026 story “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?.” Reason on file: Caterpillar (construction machinery and equip): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story
- DE Deere
Deere (DE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence in the 31 Oct 2026 story “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?.” Reason on file: Deere (farm machinery and equipment): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story
- WMT Walmart
In “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?,” Walmart (WMT) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Walmart (variety stores): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story
- NKE Nike
In “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?,” Nike (NKE) is linked, with no stored direction, medium confidence. Reason on file: Nike (rubber and plastics footwear): importers and exporters pay or lose sales when tariffs change. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story
How “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?” reaches Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)
On 31 Oct 2026, “Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?” is the story that connects Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI) to this story.
For Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI), the reason on file says Industrial Select Sector SPDR: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story
A second company, Spdr Series Trust (XRT), is listed for a different reason: SPDR S&P Retail ETF: it holds companies hit by import costs and trade rules. Linked by “tariff” (tariffs and trade) in this story
Dates and price levels for Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)
ITA traded between 197.59 and 215.76 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 214.50. XLI traded between 163.00 and 172.33 across 20 sessions. The latest close on file is 170.11.
What the saved facts support for Select Sector Spdr Tr (XLI)
46 out of 100
“Tariffs: Trade tools or policy Swiss army knives?” scores 46 out of 100. The score uses 1 sources, and 8 linked companies.