Dollar Tree says the U.S.-China trade war will cost it $19 million in Q4

• The administration has been mum on whether or not new tariffs on about $300 billion worth of Chinese imports will take effect on Dec. 15.

What they’re saying: “Obviously, the biggest unknown as we sit here today for us and many other retailers is tariffs and where [that lands] at the end of the day,” Dollar Tree CEO Gary Philbin told analysts after the company, which also owns Family Dollar, reported earnings on Tuesday.

• Shares dropped by as much as 15% after the company reported earnings that fell short of estimates and it pared back Wall Street’s profit expectations for the following quarter.
• The company blamed “continued uncertainty regarding trade and the related tariffs,” per a release.
• The company’s cost of goods sold jumped 4.5% year-over-year.

The bottom line: Dollar Tree, which makes its name on inexpensive products, is taking action to hold the line on prices.

• “We are moving some product out of China, we’re sourcing to elsewhere, we are redesigning product,” Philbin told CNBC.

Go deeper:

• Dollar Tree's misplaced bet on Family Dollar
• Cities lead the backlash against dollar stores
• The dollar store future