When the government imposes a tax on a product, this typically causes the supply curve to shift ______ due to increased production costs. Choose the best term to complete the statement.

When a government tax is added to a product, producers have to pay more for each unit they make, so they are less willing to supply the same amount. This extra cost pushes the supply curve to the left, meaning the same price now brings a smaller quantity to the market. The leftward shift shows that at every price, the quantity supplied drops because the tax raises production costs. For example, if a factory that made 100 units before the tax can only produce 80 units after paying the tax, the supply curve has moved leftward. This shift reflects the higher cost of production caused by the tax.