Massachusetts shoppers wonder if Trump's tariffs will make grocery prices go up
BOSTON - Economists say that consumers should be prepared for increased costs after President Trump imposed tariffs on Mexico, China, and Canada.
"With grocery prices, the basic stuff going up, and the essentials going up. Will definitely have us struggle a bit more," Massachusetts resident Ayush told WBZ-TV.
Economist says expect rise in grocery prices
Economist at Claremont Graduate University Ryan Patel believes that shoppers will see a rise in prices of various goods, from electronics to groceries.
"Produce is where you're going to see the biggest disruption when you see prices go up in your local grocery store," said Patel. "You look at a lot of the items that we get are produced in Mexico, China, Canada. For consumers, it's going to be tough when they see that costs go up at their local store. It's going to be very difficult.
Patel said that businesses should have been planning for the possibility that tariffs could return, and hopefully, those preparations will pay off economically.
Consumers in Boston are preparing to feel the pain of price increases.
One shopper at Trader Joe's in Allston said that she is already struggling to find affordable food prices.
"As a college student, I feel like I have the tendency of going to each and every supermarket to find the cheapest option, and I feel like this is going to continue even after the prices change," said Allston Trader Joe's shopper, Suhani.
Suhani already feels like inflation has caused prices to spike, and she fears what tariffs could do to the cost of her groceries.
"Some prices have changed, and they keep changing. So we need to recalculate our budget and our expenses depending on the new prices," Suhani said.
Economists do not predict an immediate increase in costs. Patel said that it could take several weeks for consumers to see prices go up.
