Toys, Clothes, To iPhones: What All Are Likely To Cost More In US Because Of Trump’s New Tariffs
America brought in $14 billion worth of apparel from China and Vietnam last year. The toys US children play with are mostly made in China and Vietnam. These two countries, along with Taiwan, shipped laptops and tablets worth $47.2 billion to the US last year. The country even imports its avocados, cherry tomatoes, and breakfast staple maple syrup — from Mexico and Canada. The 2023 best-selling beer in America was Mexican-made. And then there are coffee beans from Latin America, cocoa beans from South America and Africa, cocoa butter from Asia, olive oil from Europe, gems and jewellery from India, and Apple products from China.
Buying all these, and many other categories of daily-use items, will now burn a bigger hole in the pockets of Americans, with President Donald Trump announcing reciprocal tariffs on the nations that are its trade partners.
Here is a list of the items that will be cost more in America as an impact of Trump’s new tariffs.
1. Coffee And Chocolate, And Sugar Too
The morning cuppa is going to be costlier for people living in the US. So is cocoa products, and even sugar.
Roughly 80% of the coffee beans brought into the US originate from Latin America, with Brazil and Colombia leading the way —contributing 35% and 27%, respectively, as of 2023 — both subject to a 10% tariff, a Forbes report said, quoting the US Department of Agriculture.
Cocoa beans, essential for chocolate production, meanwhile, are primarily sourced from Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, and Ghana. These imports face tariffs of 21% and 10%, according to USDA data. Cocoa butter, on the other hand, is mainly imported from Indonesia and Malaysia, with higher tariffs of 32% and 24% respectively, as per USDA data.
As for sugar, the Forbes report said, the US imports most of its supply from the Dominican Republic (17%), Brazil (14%), and the Philippines (13%). These imports are taxed at varying rates — 10% for the Dominican Republic and Brazil, and 17% for the Philippines.
With the new tariffs in place, all these items will cost more.
2. Avocado, Cherry Tomatoes, Olive Oil
Grocery bills are likely to rise too, thanks to the higher import costs on key food items, as the US gets most of its fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, and poultry from neighbouring Mexico and Canada.
Mexico alone supplies over 80% of avocados imported into the US, valued at $3.1 billion, the New York Post reported, quoting the Department of Agriculture figures. This means guacamole could get significantly more expensive, especially ahead of events like Super Bowl Sunday.
Canada is the leading source of cherry tomatoes and maple syrup, and both are expected to see price hikes.
Since these items are perishable and imported continuously rather than stockpiled, the impact at grocery stores is expected to be felt soon.
Speaking to the Associated Press last month, former US trade official William Reinsch said many companies were stocking up on imported goods to avoid the impending tariffs. But "you don’t stockpile avocados...You don’t stockpile cut flowers. You don’t stockpile bananas”, he said.
Olive oil will cost more too as the US relies heavily on the European Union, especially Spain, Italy, and Greece, for the commodity. Turkey and Argentina have also become notable suppliers and are each subject to a 10% import tariff.
3. Toys And Jewellery
With thin profit margins, toy makers have limited room to absorb additional costs, especially under steep tariffs. As a result, toys manufactured in China could end up costing American buyers at least 30% more than current prices, according to a CNN report.
China and Vietnam were the leading exporters of toys to the US last year, accounting for a combined $15 billion in shipments.
About 77% of all toys sold in the US are made in China, according to the Toy Association. And the US has imposed 54% tariff on Chinese goods. “It’s just not an industry that is built to be able to manage through a tariff of that magnitude,” Greg Ahearn, president and CEO of the association, told CNN.
He noted that consumers probably won’t feel the impact until late summer, when toy companies typically launch new products for the back-to-school season alongside core, year-round items.
US toy manufacturing firm Mattel, which sources nearly 40% of its goods from China and is known for Barbie and Hot Wheels products, said in its fourth-quarter earnings call that the company would have to raise the prices of its toys.
Meanwhile, US residents should be prepared to pay more for the gems and jewellery also that they will now buy.
The US imports 30.4% of its gems and jewellery from India, which processes around 90% of the world’s diamonds, according to industry sources cited by Reuters.
4. Clothes And Footwear
The clothes and footwear Americans wear are also foreign-made, and will cost more as the new tariffs are set to have a "substantial impact on the fashion industry", Stephanie Gauzens, spokesperson for the US Fashion Industry Association, told CNN.
China and Vietnam were the dominant suppliers of footwear to the US last year, exporting a combined $18.5 billion worth — making up nearly 70% of all US shoe imports.
For apparel too, the US heavily relies on China and Vietnam, with each country shipping around $14 billion worth to American markets in 2023.
Adding to the pressure, other major apparel exporters — Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Cambodia — are also being hit with “reciprocal tariffs” ranging from 26% to 49%.
5. Beer, Wine, Whisley — And Cannabis
The new tariffs are going to impact Americans, but they can't happily drink or smoke away the hurt.
Alcohol lovers are likely to feel the pinch. According to a February report by New York Post, Wells Fargo equity analyst Chris Carey projected that tariffs could push up the price of popular Mexican beers by nearly 4.5%.
This means Modelo, which dethroned Bud Light as America’s top-selling beer in 2023, racking up over $5 billion in US sales during the 2023-24 fiscal, will get dearer.
Meanwhile, wine imports from the European Union — particularly from leading suppliers France and Italy — will be hit with a 20% tariff, Forbes reported. Other major wine-exporting nations like the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Argentina, and Australia will face a 10% rate, according to the USDA.
Scotch whisky is also set to become more expensive. The Scotch Whisky Association has expressed disappointment over the 10% tariff on whisky from the UK, the Forbes report said.
Even cannabis will bear the brunt of rising costs. The industry relies heavily on Asian imports — especially from China — for items like vape hardware, packaging, and glass. With little domestic manufacturing available, many cannabis companies lack the margins to absorb added costs, which are likely to be passed on to consumers, according to a Reuters report, which also said shares of major cannabis firms dropped 5–10% amid recession and trade war concerns.
6. Laptops, Tablets, And iPhones
With most consumer electronics — ranging from smartphones to monitors — relying on components from China, Vietnam, and Taiwan, Americans are likely to see price hikes across the board. The three Asian countries led US imports of laptops and tablets last year, collectively sending $47.2 billion worth of devices, according to federal trade data, as reported by CNN.
Compounding the issue is the US’s deep dependence on Taiwan for semiconductors, which are essential to a wide array of products including laptops, vehicles, appliances, medical equipment, Wi-Fi routers, and LED lightbulbs. Modern cars alone can contain thousands of chips.
Ed Brzytwa, VP of international trade at the Consumer Technology Association, told CNN that retail inventories will likely last another three to four months. After that, shoppers can expect to feel the impact — just in time for back-to-school and holiday shopping.
Apple, which relies heavily on Chinese manufacturing, could be among the hardest hit. A note from Rosenblatt Securities, as reported by Forbes, projects that to absorb an estimated $39.5 billion in tariff-related costs, the company may need to raise prices across its product line — by 43% for iPhones and Apple Watches, 42% for iPads, and 39% for AirPods and Macs. That would push the cost of its $599 budget iPhone to about $856, while the top-tier iPhone 16 Pro Max could soar to $2,300 if Apple decides to pass the costs on to consumers.
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