Posted on 03/03/2025 11:13:39 AM PST by Miami Rebel
Food prices have been on an increasingly upward trend for the past several years thanks to COVID-19 and inflation. And while U.S. tariffs against Canada and Mexico were on hold, President Donald Trump has now announced that they will go into effect on March 4, "as scheduled." The president made this announcement in a post on the social media platform Truth Social.
Those 25% tariffs against Canada and Mexico were on hold after the two countries reached an agreement with the United States, but now that they're back on, your grocery budget is likely to be affected—after all, those countries are the top two suppliers of food and beverages to the United States. With more food price hikes possibly on the horizon, here’s what to know—and what to consider stocking up on.
How Will Tariffs Work?
Under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, fresh vegetables traded within the North American market move widely tariff-free—a mutually beneficial system that saw a rise in the import volume of foods such as bell peppers, cucumbers, squash and snap beans.2 When tariffs do go into effect, shoppers can expect to see prices change fairly quickly.
In the aftermath of tariffs becoming official, there may also be some supply chain disruptions. Though demand for groceries will stay the same, supply may decrease, since importers of record are responsible for paying the newly imposed fees.
This scenario is more likely to occur among smaller importers, while larger corporations will almost certainly pay the fees. Smaller importers will have to pay the fees on any goods they do decide to bring in, but they may scale back their imports to avoid the added cost. Don’t expect companies large or small to absorb the losses—at least not fully—instead, they’ll increase the prices of goods, which means consumers will ultimately pay the price at checkout.
What Foods Will Go Up in Price?
In the weeks after tariffs against Canada go into effect, shoppers can expect to see a rise in prices of foods with high U.S. import volumes, including beef and seafood, cereals, legumes and maple products.
As for the effect of tariffs on Mexico, Americans will most certainly see increases in the price of a long list of fruits and vegetables, including avocados, tomatoes, peppers, berries, cucumbers and greens, as well as for sugar, orange juice products and some cuts of meat.
Should I Start Stocking Up?
Though some folks may already be headed to stores to stock up, it’s important to reflect on COVID-era experiences before stockpiling foods that may ultimately go to waste—like those 50-pound bags of flour. Tariffs or not, buying foods that you regularly consume in bulk is a smart cost-saving plan when done correctly.
What Foods to Buy and How to Store Them
Meat and Seafood
More than half of the fresh red meat imported to the U.S. comes from Canada, according to the Department of Agriculture. Canada is also a significant supplier of poultry and prepared meats, which includes processed meats like smoked sausage and cured ham. Plus, Canada is the largest exporter of seafood to the U.S., particularly when it comes to shellfish.
If you choose to stock up on your favorite cuts, store meat and seafood products in airtight food-storage bags in the back of the freezer for three to six months. You may be able to store even longer if you pick up some vacuum-sealed products—and certain cuts of meat last longer in the freezer than others. This guide to freezing chicken can help you out, and we wouldn’t recommend freezing whole cuts of beef for more than 12 months. And by the way, the USDA says you can safely freeze ground beef indefinitely, if you like—just know the quality may diminish after the six-month mark.
Nuts
Vietnam is actually the largest exporter of nuts to the U.S., but with Mexico at No. 2, price hikes aren’t out of the question. Plus, Mexico is actually the top exporter of ground nuts to the U.S., which could be tough news for fans of some gluten-free flour replacements. You can store nuts in unopened product bags or in airtight freezer bags in the freezer for up to a year.
Canned Legumes
As of 2022, the U.S. ranked No. 1 as an importer of legumes, and Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Canada are the country’s largest suppliers, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.
Keep canned legumes, like beans and lentils, in a cool, dry place such as the pantry for up to two to five years. Note that although canned foods typically last even longer, taste and texture can be affected after a few years.
Fruits and Vegetables
Though Canada takes the top spot in the meat department, Mexico has long been a major supplier of fruit imported to the U.S. The country is far and away the largest exporter of fruit to the States, and in 2023, Americans imported more than $11 billion of fruit from Mexico. Peru, the second largest exporter, clocked in at just $2 billion.
And both Canada and Mexico play a large role in the veggie selection in the United States. With a combined $14 billion in vegetables exported in 2023, they are the top two exporters of vegetables to the U.S.—and that includes some frozen or preserved veggies.
Frozen fruits and vegetables are the best bet for buying in bulk, as they are flash-frozen to maximize freshness and preserve nutrients. Store them in the original packaging and reseal them after each use or transfer them into freezer food-storage bags with clearly marked expiration dates. Though we have guides on how to freeze some produce—like corn, celery and potatoes—keep in mind that some produce does not store well in the freezer, including most vegetables that you would use for salads.
Why are we importing red meat? And what percentage of beef we Americans eat is "half"? I doubt it can be much.....
USDA tracks such imports.
https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/sb3978279?locale=en
Agricultural Marketing Service
“Imported Meat Passed for Entry”
I live on the KY Bourbon Trail. We don’t need no stinkin’ Canadian whisky. I have 150 200 Rick houses within 1/2 drive. Enough to float a battleship. ha ha
nuts!
so these items will be more expensive...meaning fewer purchases which means less profit...which means lowering the initial price.....
More fear mongering. Trump is using tariffs as leverage in negotiations with foreign countries. The US is the single largest market for goods produced in foreign countries and they can ill afford to lose their market share or engage in a tariff war that they will certainly lose. Even if the tariffs remain in place, domestic production will soon fill the void left by foreign imports.
” Even if the tariffs remain in place, domestic production will soon fill the void left by foreign imports.”
With all due respect, that’s nonsense.
First, the cost of producing simple products like apparel is vastly more expensive (by a factor of 3-to-4 times) domestically, so that a 20 or 25% tariff won’t make Lands End switch sources from Sri Lanka to North Carolina.
Second, corporations won’t make multi-billion dollar decisions about capital allocation based on trade wars. Aside from the magnitude of the capital required to on-shore production, there’s the simple fact that building an appliance factory in Marietta or Elko would take years, by which time the trade war will be a distant memory. We will never see a resurgence in US appliance manufacturing.
Indeed the USA can be self sufficient without suffering. We span a continent after all.
Tequila is a vegetable.
Not unless we round up and "take care of" Free Traitors™.
Revenue Generation: Tariffs can be a significant source of revenue for the government, which can then be used for public services and infrastructure development.
“All 4 on this list are things that are also produced in the USA and can be produced in greater quantities again.
Indeed the USA can be self sufficient without suffering. We span a continent after all.”
A simple understanding of economics would suggest that were there no cost to US production there’d be no imports of any of those items. Undoubtedly our soil could produce these items, but US consumers would pay more.
America can provide all we need.
P.S. Except for Scotch. That comes from Scotland, but there are direct suppliers without the tariffs.
We’ll adjust, no panic here.
Salt and pepper stooge tean.
I switched over to KY Bourbon years ago. Now that I am on fixed income I cannot afford the 50 to 100+ dollar a month habit so I drink mainly Wild Turkey on the rocks.
The flavor is acceptable when you let the Ice melt and is much more affordable for me. I do drink the stuff neat when others are buying like birthdays.
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