Five years after America ran out of toilet paper due to pandemic supply chain issues, tariffs on Canadian lumber may again pinch the supply. Most toilet paper used in the U.S. is domestically produced but with a prized wood pulp from Canada. (Lorraine Swanson/Patch),
U.S. Consumers can soften the financial hit expected from President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs by making some purchases before they’re scheduled to take effect.
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The 10 percent across-the-board tariff hike takes effect Saturday, while the higher reciprocal tariffs imposed on virtually every U.S. trading partner are scheduled to take effect Wednesday. Trump announced the levies earlier this week as part of a goal to create more U.S. manufacturing jobs and correct a trade deficit he views as a “national emergency.”
There is always a chance Trump is using the tariffs, the highest since 1909, as a bargaining chip to win concessions from nations placing duties on U.S. exports. Trump has said the tariffs “give us great power to negotiate.” At least one nation — China — has retaliated with an additional 35 percent tax on U.S. goods beginning next week, the state media said Friday. That brings the duties on U.S. goods to 54 percent. The European Union has vowed to impose additional levies on U.S. exports as well.
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As things stand now, consumers are steeling for steep price increases from some of the country’s biggest trading partners.
Although the temptation is great to stock up on staples before stores have to replenish their inventories with imported goods facing higher tariffs, experts say it’s important not to panic or hoard items.
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Experts say it may make sense to go ahead and buy already planned purchases of big-ticket items like cars and appliances before inventories are replenished with goods imported with higher duties, they advise against panic buying and hoarding.
The United States is the biggest importer in the world with $3.2 trillion in goods coming into the country in 2022, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The tariffs are expected to have a wide effect on items in Americans’ pantries, closets, vanities, liquor cabinets, toy chests, garages and other aspects of their lives.
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The increased costs will be seen on items directly imported from other countries and U.S. companies that depend on trading partners for key ingredients or components of products. Here are some things that could cost more:
Why Footwear Is Vulnerable
This is a good time to go shopping if you need a new pair of running shoes — or any shoes. About 99 percent of all shoes sold in the United States are imported, with the majority coming from China and Vietnam, which face reciprocal tariffs of 34 percent and 46 percent, respectively. About 2.4 billion pairs of shoes a year — enough for seven pairs a person — are imported into the United States every year, according to the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America an industry trade group.
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Exemption For Shein And Temu Ends
Trump’s sweeping executive order shuts down the de minimis trade loophole, an exemption that allowed shipments of less than $800 to enter the country duty-free, effective May 2, NBC News reported.
That has allowed fast-fashion e-commerce companies such as Shein and Temu to offer low-cost clothing, and others to flood the market with low-cost electronics and other items. U.S. Customs and Protection processed more than 1.3 billion de minimis shipments in 2024, up from over 1 billion shipments in 2023.
The goods that qualify for the exemption will be subject to tariff equal to 30 percent of their value, or of $25 per item. The White House said the flat fee will increase to $50 per item on June 1.
$2,300 For An iPhone?
Top-line iPhones could cost about $2,300 if Apple passes the full brunt of the tariffs on to consumers, according to projections from Rosenblatt Securities, Reuters reported. Even the cheapest iPhone 16 model could increase to $1,142, up 43 percent from the $799 U.S. launch price.
Jolt To Coffee Prices
Your wallet could feel a jolt with your morning cup of joe. Americans drink more than 200 times the amount of coffee that can be produced on the Hawaiian islands, and the majority of it is imported from Brazil and Columbia.
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Steep tariffs will be imposed on tea, also. Most of the tea Americans consume comes from countries with high tariffs, including Japan (24 percent), Argentina (10 percent), India (27 percent), China (54 percent) and Sri Lanka (44 percent).
Bananas And Avocados
A significant amount of fruits and vegetables — especially tropical fruits and out-of-season produce — comes from trading partners. Mexico, where Trump imposed a 25 percent tariff, is the largest of the trading partners for these foods, including 88 percent of the avocados eaten in the United States.
The United States is also the top importer of bananas, with 40 percent coming from Guatemala, which will face a 10 percent tariff.
Spice Price Spikes
The cost of vanilla and spices commonly used by America’s cooks and bakers are expected to increase, and there’s not much U.S. consumers can do to avoid the higher prices since the climate doesn’t allow the plants they’re derived from to grow.
For example, CNBC reported, Madagascar accounts for more than three-quarters of U.S. imports of vanilla, already the second-most expensive spice in the world. Exports from Madagascar will be subject to tariffs of 47 percent.
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Toy Companies Aren’t Playing
Mattel has warned that everything from it Barbie and American Girl dolls to Hot Wheels toys will cost more due to the 54 percent tariffs on China.
Lego, whose toys are popular with children and adults alike, also expects to increase prices to absorb a 20 percent tariff on European Union member Denmark, where the toys are manufactured.
The High In Highballs
Cocktail hour could become more expensive with 25 percent tariffs on everything from Mexican tequila and Canadian whiskey to imported Mexican Corona, Dutch Heineken and Irish Guinness. Imported wine and spirits from Europe is also likely to become more expensive, NBC News reported.
Other Legal HIghs Go Higher
Tins, vape hardware and specialized glass smoking devices used by cannabis consumers are largely supplied by Asia, especially China, and dispensaries and smoke shops are expected to pass increased costs on to their customers, Reuters reported.
“Those relying on exports from nations with tariffs, such as China, will need to take a serious look at how they might absorb the extra costs or alter partnerships,’ Bryan Gerber, CEO of Hara Supply, the world’s largest manufacturer of cones and combustibles, told the outlet.
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But What About Toilet Paper?
Five years after America ran out of toilet paper due to COVID-19 pandemic supply chain issues, the tariffs on lumber from Canada could again pinch the toilet paper supply, Bloomberg reported in March after the first round of Trump’s tariffs took effect. Other major suppliers of toilet paper in the United States are China, Mexico and Israel
Roughly 99 percent of this U.S. hygiene staple is produced domestically by companies that include Kimberly-Clark, Proctor & Gamble and Georgia-Pacific, but shoppers could still pay more for toilet paper and toilet paper shortages are still possible. That’s because U.S. companies depend on Canada for the prized northern bleached softwood kraft pulp used to make toilet paper and paper towels.
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