Tariffs and threats of tariffs have been roiling financial markets since January. Property and casualty insurers are no less concerned, as the cost of repairing and replacing damaged property is a driver of claim costs and, ultimately, policyholder premiums.
Triple-I Chief Economist and Data Scientist Dr. Michel Léonard recently sat down to explain the implications of tariffs and trade barriers for insurers and what economic considerations concern industry decisionmakers.
While property and casualty insurers write many kinds of coverage, the lines Léonard primarily discussed were homeowners and personal and commercial auto – “lines that have a physical emphasis on repair, rebuild, and replace.”
Lumber from Canada; cars, trucks, and parts from Canada and Mexico; and garments, furnishings, and technology from Asia all come into play when considering the prospective impacts of tariffs on replacement costs, Léonard said.
“When we’re focusing specifically on China,” he said, “we’re looking primarily at farm equipment and alternative-energy components.”
Uncertainty around tariffs – particularly in recent weeks, as tariffs on Mexico and Canada have been imposed and “paused” – makes analysis even more difficult.
“Much depends on how much clarity there is, how much communication from the policymakers, from the administration and from the legislature,” Léonard said. It’s also important to remember that impacts can last well beyond their implementation and withdrawal.
During the first Trump Administration, tariffs on soft commodities, beef, grain, and so forth had impacts for several years afterwards.
“Those tariffs were fairly short lived,” Léonard said, “but for two to three years afterward farmers were uncomfortable investing in equipment at the same pace, and that reduced farmowners’ insurance growth.”
Regardless of how the current discussions around tariffs play out, the Trump Administration has signaled a decided shift in policy toward greater protectionism. As a result, Léonard said, “We should expect a repositioning in our understanding of our replacement costs and underlying growth forecast for the next 12 months, at a minimum.”
He projects a period of “most likely 24 to 36 months” in which growth will be slower and inflation – including replacement costs for the P&C industry – will be higher.
Learn More:
Tariffs and Insurance – full video (Members Only)
Insurance Economic Outlook (Members Only)
