Watch your budget: These groceries will see the biggest price hikes due to Trump’s reciprocal tariffs

After months of speculation, President Donald Trump outlined his bold new economic policy during a speech in the Rose Garden on Wednesday. Trump will introduce sweeping tariffs of almost all of the United States’ trading partners, likely pushing up prices for American consumers.

Trump had promised reciprocal tariffs, but announced that he will instead be issuing tariffs at roughly half the rate that other nations impose them on the US. Tariffs will be paid by the companies importing the good to the US but the expectation is that much of this added cost will simply be passed on to the buyer.

Almost all sectors will be affected to some extent but the most-imported good will see the biggest change to costs in the US. A study from Best Food Importers found that “fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, coffee, cocoa, seafood and fish and oilseed product" were the top food categories imported by the US in both 2023 and 2024. These everyday grocery items will probably be among the most-affected by the tariffs.

Expert warns of price rises across the board

Despite Trump’s bold claim of a “declaration of economic independence,” many economists have warned that the imposition of new tariffs can cause real harm to the economy.

National Foreign Trade Council President Jake Colvin released a statement following Trump’s speech. In it, he warned that consumers “should expect to see higher prices for everything from groceries to home renovations to auto insurance as construction and repair costs rise.”

“While the price of imported goods will undoubtedly rise, the president’s tariffs will also tack on added costs to American manufacturing, assembly and farming,” Colvin continued. “There is simply no way to mitigate all of the added costs of inputs to finished goods from the administration’s complex and growing web of tariffs.”

At a point when inflationary pressure remain a real concern for millions of Americans, Trump’s plan to add additional barriers to trade will only push prices higher. The President is hoping that an increase in foreign-made goods will make American products more attractive and help spark a production boom. However in the meantime, there’s likely to be real pain for consumers.

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