Grocery prices will rise as much as 30% due to tariffs, expert says

WASHINGTON - In the wake of President Donald Trump's new wide-ranging and aggressive tariffs, some experts say Americans will feel the effects in the grocery aisles. 

What they're saying:

Phil Lampert, the Supermarket Guru, says tariffs the U.S. is imposing on countries around the globe will most certainly add costs to your grocery run — as much as 30 percent, depending on what you buy. 

He says a tariff war with China would affect the cost of spices and tea. 

"Let's not also forget that China produces 90% of all the garlic in the world, and garlic is a major ingredient in a lot of frozen foods. Our apple juice — they supply 60% of the apple juice concentrate that comes into this country. So we're going to have to re-calibrate what we're buying and how we're buying it. But don’t panic, don’t overstock — because that doesn’t do anybody any good."

Other products that he says will get more expensive include: 

• Seafood
• Coffee
• Beer and wine
• Bananas
• Pineapples
• Avocados
• Chocolate
• Pecans
• Cashews
• Brie
• Gouda

Lampert says to be prepared for higher prices, but don't go crazy. 

"What we have to keep in mind is, let's not over-buy, let's not panic," said Lampert. "Prices are going to go higher, there's no question about that. And frankly, we're going to see some shortages, especially if we look at our produce aisle, because we get about 50% of all of our produce from Mexico."

And the effects could reach beyond just the grocery store, according to Lampert.

"There’s no question — anything that touches food, whether it's a supermarket, whether it's a restaurant, McDonald’s, I mean all these places, hospitals, schools — everybody is going to be affected by these tariffs." 

Additional Impacts

Dig deeper:

Experts say that tariffs could impact the cost of consumer electronics.