President Donald Trump is putting new fees, called tariffs, on items that come into the United States from Canada, Mexico, and China. This means when you go grocery shopping, you might notice higher prices on your favorite foods.
Starting on April 2, which Trump has called “Liberation Day,” he plans to charge extra fees—25% on goods from Canada and Mexico and 20% on things from China. This could lead to slower production and higher prices for groceries.
Mexico and Canada are two of America’s biggest suppliers for fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and drinks. In 2023 alone, the U.S. brought in over $45 billion worth of food from Mexico, which included a lot of fruits, veggies, and drinks like beer and tequila. Canada added about $40.5 billion in agricultural products, such as beef, pork, and canola oil. Because of these tariffs, prices for these goods might jump up a lot.
Which groceries will get more expensive?
Fresh fruits and veggies are at risk of becoming more costly right away since they go bad quickly. The USDA reported that in 2022, Mexico provided 51% of our fresh fruit imports and Canada provided 2%. For fresh vegetables, Mexico gave us 69%, while Canada supplied 20%.
Popular exports from Mexico to the U.S. include fresh strawberries, raspberries, avocados, and tomatoes. Canada supplies meats, grains, and oilseeds.
Target CEO Brian Cornell said shoppers could see fruit and vegetable prices rising within just a few days. He added that we really rely on Mexico for a lot of fresh produce during the winter.
Economist Gary Hufbauer mentioned to Foreign Policy that shoppers will likely see a quick jump in grocery prices due to the tariffs on Mexico and Canada. Jason Miller, a supply chain expert at Michigan State University, explained that it’s hard to go grocery shopping without noticing some increase in prices.
Leave a Reply