Will shoppers feel impact of tariffs at food stores?
Situation seems to change daily
Staff writer
Tariffs of up to 25% on items from Canada, Mexico, and China announced by President Donald Trump have been delayed, downsized, and given exemptions in recent days.
If actually imposed, they will hit a wide swath of items in local food stores.
Dale’s Supermarket owner Dale Franz said his suppliers told him they would keep everyone updated.
But Greg Carlson, co-owner of Carlsons’ Grocery in Marion, said suppliers had said nothing yet about tariffs.
“This has got to stop,” Carlson said.
Mexico’s main edible imports include vegetables, tequila, mezcal, sugar, honey, nuts, wheat, corn, vinegar, and live animals.
Oreo cookies are made in Mexico.
Canada’s main edible exports include dairy products, eggs, honey, cereals, beverages, spirits, vinegar, meat, fish, seafood, sugars and sugar confections, oil, seeds, fruits and vegetables, grain, coffee, nuts, citrus fruit peel, cocoa and cocoa preparations, and live animals.
Brands made in Canada that most people would recognize include Eagle Brand milk, Cheez Whiz, Cracker Barrel cheese, Kraft singles, Philadelphia cream cheese, and Arizona Hard Tea.
Some Miller and Coors beer, La Cocina tortilla chips, Old Dutch and Voortman cookies, French’s mustard, and Clearly Canadian and Great Value soft drinks also come from Canada.
China’s main edible imports include corn, rice, wheat, soybeans, pork products, tree nuts, seasonings, oil, and sauces.
What will or won’t happen is changing on a near daily basis, so nobody knows what the final result on prices will be.