No bouquet for Mother’s Day? This is how Trump’s tariffs could drive up flower prices
Here’s how Trump’s tariffs will affect the price of flowers ahead of Mother’s Day.
Donald Trump’s unparalleled tariffs policy has, it is safe to say, shaken the world economy to its very core, causing the one thing businesses don’t want in their offices: uncertainty.
The flip-flop decisions being made by the President of the United States, routinely labelled a cognisant businessman, has caused stock prices to drop and goods prices to skyrocket, with trade between the US and the rest of the world at levels of difficulty that are simply unprecedented in terms of difficulty.
Despite his messaging of ‘Trump good, Biden bad’, the price hikes in local stores across the country are on Trump; he has decided to impose tariffs on other countries, partners of the USA, that are being paid for by the working people, and Mother’s Day is no different.
Flower prices are set to shoot upwards before the annual event, where millions of dollars are spent on bouquets as the celebrations commence. Around 80% of the flowers sold in the United States are not grown in the country, meaning that they will, unfortunately, face the tariffs.
Last year, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, the United States imported a total of $2.2 billion worth of cut flowers and greenery, the majority of which came from Colombia and Ecuador, two countries hit by Trump’s tariffs. Countries like Italy and The Netherlands are also popular places when it comes to importing plants into the country, given their curious climates that allow for the growth of certain species: they have been hit with the so-called “reciprocal” EU tariffs of 10%.
“We’re going to do the best we can to sort of keep those prices where they need to be,” Jody Costello, a florist in Royal Oak, Michigan, told CBS, “people can definitely expect to be paying a little bit more.”
“The fact that [other countries] can grow year-round gave them a natural advantage,” Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of American Florists, told CBS.
While local growers have seen a boost in sales, they are not exempt from the tariffs, with many of the bulbs and seeds coming from abroad: “The consumer does want to buy local, especially brides,” Penn added. “They love to be able to have local flowers featured.”
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